An Abuja court on Tuesday released 119 individuals, including minors, who had been detained in connection with anti-government protests earlier this year. The protesters had faced charges, including treason and inciting a military coup, following the widespread demonstrations against economic hardship in August. Some of the charges carried the death penalty. The Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed the treasonable charges after the federal government decided to withdraw them. The case had initially been set for a hearing in January but was fast-tracked after President Bola Tinubu ordered the release of all minors detained during the protests and instructed that…

President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate release of all minors detained in connection with the #EndBadGovernance protests held in August, following widespread local and international condemnation of their treatment. The move comes after a harrowing court appearance last week where three minors and an adult collapsed from exhaustion while being arraigned, prompting calls for urgent action. The presidential order was announced by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, on Monday during a press briefing at the State House. Idris confirmed that the release would occur “without prejudice to any legal processes there are,” signaling that the…

Twenty-nine children could be facing the death penalty in Nigeria after they were arraigned Friday for participating in a protest against the country’s record cost-of-living crisis. Four of them collapsed in court due to exhaustion before they could enter a plea. A total of 76 protesters were charged with 10 felony counts, including treason, destruction of property, public disturbance and mutiny, according to the charge sheet seen by The Associated Press. According to the charge sheet, the minors ranged in age from 14 to 17 years old. Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has led to several mass protests in recent…

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and other advocacy groups have condemned the President Bola Tinubu government for detaining minors who protested against hunger and poor governance. They described their detention as a violation of constitutional rights and an affront to international human rights standards. The detained minors, held for over three months without trial, reportedly endured harsh conditions while detained for participating in protests. While reacting to the situation in a chat with The Guardian, the spokesperson for NEF, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said that the federal government’s actions amounted to “shameful and unacceptable impunity.” Suleiman criticised the arbitrary detention and treason…