A 15-year-old minor, one of the 76 individuals set to be arraigned by the Nigerian Police Force for taking part in the recent EndBadGovernance protests across Nigeria, fainted on Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The teenager collapsed as Justice Obiora Egwuatu was about to read the charges. This sudden incident prompted the judge to temporarily suspend proceedings and retreat to his chambers. Lawyers in the courtroom rushed to assist, helping the boy to the court clinic, while his fellow defendants, mostly minors, broke down in tears.
One of the defense lawyers, Mr. Deji Adeyanju, revealed that the minors had been held in police custody for over 80 days. The 76 defendants face a 10-count charge, identified as FCH/ABJ/CS/503/2024, stemming from arrests made in Abuja and Kano during the protest.
According to the charges, signed by the police legal team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Simon Lough, SAN, the defendants allegedly conspired between July 31 and August 4 in Abuja and Kano with intent to destabilize the nation. The police accuse them of committing treason, an offense under Section 96 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 97.