Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has expressed concern over the trial of minors on treason charges at a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja. The minors, some reportedly from Kano, are being prosecuted by the Nigeria Police following their involvement in an August hunger protest.
On Friday night, Governor Yusuf posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he had been made aware of the teenagers’ appearance in court. In response, he instructed Kano’s Commissioner of Justice to intervene immediately to secure the minors’ release and return them to Kano. “The Commissioner of Justice has been instructed to act immediately on the issue. We shall do everything possible to get them back to Kano, in sha Allah,” Yusuf stated.
Meanwhile, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has also taken steps to review the case. In a statement released Friday night, Fagbemi disclosed that he directed the Nigeria Police to transfer the minors’ prosecution file to his office. “It has just come to my notice that the police have arraigned those arrested in connection with the #EndBadGovernance protest for various offences, including treason,” Fagbemi said.
Fagbemi further noted that, although the court had remanded the minors in detention until January, he had instructed the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) to seek an earlier court date. “I have directed the DPPF to immediately set machinery in motion for the court’s consideration of moving the adjournment date forward to an earlier date,” he explained.
The case has garnered widespread attention due to the charges leveled against the minors, raising questions about the treatment of young protesters. Governor Yusuf’s intervention and Fagbemi’s involvement underscore efforts to expedite the legal proceedings and review the prosecution of the minors.
