The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, dismissed the treason charges against the minors who have been detained since August in connection with the #EndBadGovernance protests.
The presiding judge, Obiora Egwatu, dismissed the case following the announcement by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), M.D. Abubakar, regarding the withdrawal of the charges in light of public outcry.
Exercising the powers granted to the Attorney-General of the Federation under Section 174 of the Nigerian Constitution, Mr. Abubakar, representing the Attorney-General, initially took over the case from the police before formally requesting its withdrawal on Tuesday.
In response to the request, the judge dismissed the case in two phases, thereby releasing a total of 119 defendants, who are believed to be minors, present in court on Tuesday.
They were part of 176 defendants prepared for trial on charges of treason, terrorism and arson. Four of the defendants, including two minors, collapsed during the proceedings, triggering local and international rebuke.
The trial judge had imposed stringent bail conditions and adjourned the case until January, ordering that the defendants should remain on remand pending when they would meet their bail conditions.
This decision follows significant public outcry regarding the unlawful attempts by the police to prosecute these minors, exacerbated by the distressing incident on November 2, when two of the minors collapsed while awaiting their pleas during the previous proceedings.
In response to public outrage regarding the mistreatment of the minors, the AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, had demanded the police to surrender the case file and announced a plan to secure an earlier hearing date in court
Meanwhile, the Child Rights Act prohibits the prosecution of less-than-18-year-old minors in the regular courts.
