The Bola Tinubu-led government on Monday arraigned ten youths who were arrested in various cities, including Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, and Gombe, for participating in the #EndBadGovernance protests.
The charges, which have been widely criticized as trumped-up, include treasonable felony, a serious offence that could carry severe penalties.
The defendants appeared before Justice Emeka Nwite at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where they pleaded not guilty to the six counts filed against them.
According to court documents, the individuals charged are:
- Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye (aka Lenin), 28 years old
- Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi (aka Yomi), 34 years old
- Suleiman Yakubu, 28 years old
- Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo Simeon, 50 years old
- Angel Love Innocent, 51 years old
- Buhari Lawal, 21 years old
- Mosiu Sadiq, 28 years old
- Bashir Bello (aka Murtala), 51 years old
- Nuradeen Khamis, 47 years old
- Abdulsalam Zubairu, 37 years old
Legal representation for the defendants has been divided among several prominent lawyers. Abubakar Marshal is representing the first through fourth defendants, Hamza is defending the fifth defendant, Deji Adeyanju is appearing for the sixth through eighth defendants, and Ahmed Abdulrahman is representing the ninth defendant.
The #EndBadGovernance protest, which led to the arrests, was a call for accountability and better governance in Nigeria.
The government’s response, which has included arrests and the filing of serious charges, has drawn concern from civil rights groups and the international community.
Many see the charges as an attempt to silence dissent and suppress the fundamental right to peaceful protest.
