Protesters who were arrested for participating in the protest against bad governance in August are about to gain their freedom after spending over 90 days in prison.
This comes after the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday struck out the charges brought against a total of 119 #EndBadGovernance protesters.
News About Nigeria reports that the 119 protesters were arraigned on Friday, November 1, on charges including treason felony, inciting mutiny, and plans to overthrow the government, among others.
The defendants were arraigned in two batches during the previous proceeding. The first batch comprised a total of 76 protesters, including 32 minors, while the second batch included 43 protesters.
However, after the incident involving teenagers fainting in court and others appearing starved and malnourished, Nigerians called for the release of the protesters.
Heeding the calls of Nigerians, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a statement on Monday, directed the immediate release of all minors who were arrested over their alleged participation in the protests.
The statement reads in part, “The President has ordered the immediate release of all the minors who have been arrested by the Nigeria Police without prejudice to whatever legal processes they are undergoing. He has directed that they be released immediately.
“Secondly, the President has also directed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to immediately attend to the welfare of these minors and to ensure their smooth reunion with their parents or guardians wherever they are in the country.”
Following this directive, the trial judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, struck out the suit after an application by the counsel to the Attorney General of the Federation, M. D. Abubakar, to take over and discontinue the matter.
