#EndBadGovernance: Arraigned protesters not minors, but married men – FG’s counsel

Most of the 76 minors arraigned for #EndBadGovernance protests are adults

This is according to the Counsel to the Federal Government, Rimazonte Ezekiel.

Daily Trust had reported how protesters who were arrested during the August 1 to August 10 #EndBadGovernance demonstration were brought to a Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday.

While four of them, including two minors slumped, and were taken to hospital, 114 protesters of them were granted N10 million bail each with two sureties each in like sum.

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Justuce Obiora Egwuatu admitted them to bail after hearing the defence lawyers’ application and the prosecution’s submission.

The case was subsequently adjourned to January.

Videos of minors among the suspects have triggered outrage among Nigerians. Human rights activists, civil society groups, politicians, social commentators are among those who have criticised the Tinubu administration over the issue.

But Ezekiel, who briefed journalists after the ruling on Friday, claimed that the minors have wives who came with their parents to the court.

He said: “These boys that we brought to the court today are adults. Most of them are married men. None of them is a minor. Some of them are University graduates. The small kids you are seeing here today came with their parents to come and greet their loved ones.

“They are not even the real suspects standing trial in this case. These boys were arrested in Kaduna and Zaria. Do you know how much it cost us to be at this level of democracy in this country? These you boys are trying to destabilise Nigeria using the Russian flags and other countries while calling on the military to remove our president.

“Is it fair? To even remove the state governors. If they don’t want democracy again, are we forcing them? Everybody is enjoying their fundamental human rights. Nobody is abusing their rights. Everything is moving on well in the country only for these boys for no reason started protests with Russia and other countries’ flags.”