A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, struck out the treason charge preferred against the minors who participated in the August #EndBadGovernance protest following its withdrawal by the Federal Government.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu struck out the charge after the application for the discontinuance was moved by Mr Mohammed Abubakar, coinsel to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.
Abubakar, who is the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), premised his application on provisions of Sections 174(1), (b) and (c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
The lawyer, who told the court that the AGF had officially taken over the case-file, said the Federal Government had decided to discontinue the case against the protesters.
The DPPF also applied for the proceeding to be conducted without the presence of the minors in the courtroom, in line with provisions of Section 266 (b) of the ACJA, 2015, and Section 1 of the Childs’ Rights Act.
Counsel to the defendants, including Mr Femi Fanala, SAN, did not oppose the application.
Justice Egwuatu, consequently, struck out the charge against the protesters who were minors.
NewsWireNGR reports that Justice Egwuatu has, on Friday, admitted the 114 protesters arraigned by the police tto N10 million bail each with two sureties each in like sum.
The judge admitted them to bail after hearing the defence lawyers’ application and the prosecution’s submission.
Two separate charges were brought before Justice Egwuatu.
In the first 10-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/503/2024, 76 defendants were listed while in the four-count charge number: FHC/ABJ/CR/527/2024, 43 persons were listed as defendants, making a total of 119 defendants.
However, a total of 114 were later arraigned due to the ill-health of five of the children among the defendants.
