Four minors among 76 individuals charged by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for their involvement in the recent #EndBadGovernance protests collapsed in court on Friday, just before their arraignment.
The teenagers, aged between 14 and 18, appeared visibly ill and malnourished as they were brought before Justice Obiora Egwuatu at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Inspector General of Police had formed a legal team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Simon Lough to prosecute the case, which includes charges of treason against protesters arrested in various states including Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano.
As the court session began, police prosecutor Audu Garba sought to read the charges to allow the defendants to enter their pleas. However, before this could happen, four individuals—identified as Muhammed Yahaya (14), Muktar Ishak Alhassan (16), Mustapha Ibrahim (18), and Usman Fatihu (21)—fainted. This prompted Justice Egwuatu to pause the proceedings and return to his chambers while legal representatives rushed to assist the minors.
After approximately 30 minutes, court resumed, and the prosecution requested that the four affected minors be removed from the charges—a request that was granted. The remaining 72 defendants pleaded not guilty.
Their lawyer, Abubakar Marshal, requested bail for them pending trial. Justice Egwuatu subsequently granted bail of N10 million each with two sureties required for each defendant.
The minors had reportedly spent over 80 days in police custody prior to their arraignment. The police accused them of conspiring to destabilize Nigeria between July and August and engaging in actions intended to intimidate government officials.
Specific allegations included inciting mutiny by calling for military intervention against President Bola Tinubu and displaying Russian flags during protests.
The case has drawn attention from human rights organizations, including SERAP and Amnesty International, which have condemned the detention of minors and called for their immediate release.
