A mild drama unfolded at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday when four youths among the 76 defendants, accused of participating in the August #EndBadGovernance protest, collapsed during their trial.
The protest, which began on August 1, to demand better governance, concluded on 10 August.
Previously, the Inspector-General of Police had charged 11 protesters before Justice Emeka Nwite in a related court case with offences including treason, conspiracy to commit a felony, and inciting mutiny, under Section 97 of the Penal Code.
The protests led to arrests in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Gombe, and were marked by violence and fatalities across various regions.
Read also: Lawyer writes AGF to reject treason charges against #EndBadGovernance protesters
On Friday, as proceedings began, the Inspector-General’s counsel, Audu Garba, informed the court that it was set to arraign the 76 defendants, who had been held in detention.
However, shortly after the defendants were called into the dock to enter their pleas, four youths collapsed in the courtroom.
The young men, identified as Usman Fatihu (21 years), Muhammed Yahaya (14 years), Muktar Ishak Alhassan (16 years), and Mustapha Ibrahim (18 years), were the 68th, 74th, 75th, and 76th defendants, respectively, facing a ten-count charge of treason and related offences.
The trial judge, Obiora Egwuatu, promptly adjourned the proceedings and called a brief recess before resuming the trial.
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