EndBadGovernance: Why Tinubu Terminated Treason Charges Against Minors

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has revealed reasons treason charges against minors in the EndBadGovernance protests have been terminated.

This is even as the AGF, who is also the Minister of Justice, held that no law in the country forbade the minors from being prosecuted.

Speaking after a new office complex that was built by an Abuja-based law firm, the Law Corridor, was commissioned on Thursday, the AGF said President Bola Tinubu ordered termination of the case against the teenagers purely on compassionate grounds.

“No law in this country says a minor cannot be tried, and I have also heard suggestions that they should go to a family court.

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“The study of the law and the constitution leaves you no other conclusion than that the federal high court has jurisdiction in matters bordering on treason and related issues.

“So, whatever the situation, the president has closed the chapter by his decision to have these young men released.

“The president was very compassionate; he is a father and a grandfather. If you look at the facts in the possession of the security agency, you would marvel.

“But the president said, despite all this, ‘I have children and grandchildren,’ and that motivated his passion to release them and also enable them in some ways.

“So the credit goes to him (the President) for showing compassionate consideration in releasing the young chaps,” the AGF added.

The Nigeria police arrested and detained119 individuals over their alleged participation in the EndBadGovernance protests of August 1 and August 10, 2024, slamming charged against them.

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Four of the accused minors, who were between the ages of 14 and 17, collapsed in court before the charge could be read to them, attracting divergent reactions from the public.

This prompted the president to direct the AGF to withdraw the charges against the minors and withdraw the case.