AGF requests case file of #EndBadGovernance protesters charged with treason

By Kunle Sanni

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has instructed the Nigeria Police to transfer the case file of 76 protesters, who have been charged with treason following recent #EndBadGovernance demonstrations, to the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) in the AGF’s office. This transfer is set to take effect on Saturday, November 2, 2024.

In a statement released Friday, Fagbemi emphasized the urgency of the transfer, stating that the DPPF has been directed to begin the process of petitioning the court for an earlier hearing date, currently scheduled for January 2025. The protesters, some reportedly minors, were recently arraigned and granted bail set at N10 million each.

“It has just come to my notice that the police have arraigned those arrested in connection with the Endbadgovernance violent protest in court for various offenses, including treason,” Fagbemi stated. He explained that his office needs to examine certain aspects of the case before making a final decision.

Fagbemi acknowledged that the court’s remand order, which placed the protesters in detention centers and scheduled the next hearing for January, cannot be altered by his office.

However, he noted that transferring the case to the DPPF is an essential step for reviewing the charges and potentially expediting the case.

“I have directed the Nigeria Police to transfer the case file to my office and hand it over to the DPPF by tomorrow, Saturday, November 2, 2024. The DPPF has been further instructed to take immediate steps to request a closer hearing date,” he concluded.