Lateef Fagbemi, Nigeria’s attorney-general and justice minister, has asked the police to hand over the case files of 114 defendants, including minors, who were charged on Friday over last August’s #EndBadGovernance protest.
Fagbemi directed the police to hand over the case files to the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) today.
The AGF’s reaction may not be unconnected to the public outrage that greeted the arraignment of hungry-looking minors on Friday by the federal government, upon which four of them collapsed in court.
The government’s action attracted public scrutiny as several Nigerians asked why the young Nigerians would be prosecuted for protesting that they were hungry.
The issue was worsened by the fact that the minors had been in detention for three months.
A statement shared by Kamarudeen Ogundele, AGF’s spokesperson, read: “It has just come to my notice that the police have arraigned those arrested in connection with the endbadgovernance violent protest in court for various offences including treason.
“There are some issues my office will need to look into regarding the matter to enable me take an informed decision.
“I am aware that the court has remanded the defendants in detention centres and adjourned the case to January,” the statement stated.
The AGF said he has asked the police to transfer the case files to his office, although he could not vary the court’s order remanding the defendants in detention centres.
“I have further directed the DPPF to immediately put machinery in motion for consideration of the court to bring the adjournment date forward (an earlier date),” he said.
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