In a major legal development, the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed all charges against 119 protesters involved in the #EndBadGovernance movement. The protesters, who had been arraigned on November 1 on allegations of treason, incitement to mutiny, and other serious charges, were set free after the court struck out the case on Tuesday.
The protesters were initially brought before the court in two groups. The first group included 76 individuals, of which 32 were minors, while the second group consisted of 43 people. The charges leveled against them came amid the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests, which called for government accountability and systemic reforms.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu presided over the case and granted the application to discontinue proceedings after the counsel representing the Attorney General of the Federation, M. D. Abubakar, formally requested the charges be withdrawn. The decision to drop the case came as a relief to supporters of the #EndBadGovernance movement, many of whom viewed the charges as an attempt to suppress public dissent.
The Attorney General’s decision to pull back from the case has sparked various reactions, with some seeing it as a step towards acknowledging citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and protest. Others are closely monitoring the situation to understand if this development signals a shift in the government’s approach toward handling public demonstrations.
As details continue to emerge, the dismissal of charges against the protesters marks a significant moment for civic activism in Nigeria, emphasizing the ongoing conversation around governance and citizens’ rights.
