NewStats: 3,264,702 , 8,184,438 topics. Date: Thursday, 12 June 2025 at 05:58 AM 245x5r

DEBORAH MUSA, ISMAEEL UTHMAN and DANIEL AYANTOYE

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has commenced moves to drop the charges brought against the 32 minors arraigned before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Hours after the arraignment, the AGF disclosed in a statement late Friday night his interest in taking over the matter from the Inspector General of Police.

He noted that there were issues his office would like to review.

"There are some issues my office will need to look into regarding the matter to enable me to make an informed decision,” the AGF said.

"It is not within my power to vary the court order remanding the defendants in detention centres and adjourning the case to January. I have, however, directed the Nigeria Police to transfer the case file to my office and hand it over to the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation tomorrow, Saturday, November 2, 2024.

“I have further directed the DPPF to immediately initiate steps to request an earlier adjournment date,” he added.

A source from the Federal Ministry of Justice confirmed to our correspondent that the IG had already submitted the case file to the AGF as requested, and actions were underway to swiftly drop the charges against the defendants.

The source added that the court was set to reconvene early this week, rather than on the adjourned date of January 24, 2025.

“The police have submitted the case file, and the parties are working together. The court will reconvene early this week,” the source said.

Also, the defence counsel for all 119 defendants, Marshall Abubakar, in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, confirmed that steps were being taken to drop the charges against the children this week, especially since the AGF had requested transfer of the case file.

“The government has been calling; the AGF has called. I think, most likely, by next week (this week) we will get the charges thrown out,” Abubakar said.

He also confirmed that the minors among the 119 remanded protesters were in the custody of the SARS IRT, adding that they were kept in a large hall as the purported Borstal system for juvenile detention was non-existent.

“The children were taken to IRT SARS. There is a big hall there where they are kept because there is actually no Borstal Centre.”

Another source knowledgeable about the case told our correspondent on Saturday that the AGF’s office was considering filing an affidavit of urgency and an application on Monday before the court.

The source said, “This means if the application is granted, the case will come up on Tuesday. Hopefully, the case will be discontinued.”

Meanwhile, human rights activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has raised the alarm over the whereabouts of two children arrested by the police.

Adeyanju said the minors were supposed to be arraigned alongside the 76 accused persons brought to court on Friday.

He noted that the two children were on the list of those earlier taken to court by the police to obtain a remand warrant a few months ago.

The activist called on the attorney general to use his good offices to discontinue the case.

"It took a lot of effort for us to get the children to be brought to court on Friday. Two of them who were originally arrested were not even brought to court. We don’t know their whereabouts or what has happened to them. Their names were on the warrant obtained from the court, but they were never brought to court on Friday,” Adeyanju told Sunday PUNCH.

He revealed that about seven other arrested protesters were also not arraigned on Friday because they were sick and had to be taken to the Federal High Court clinic.

"Their names were withdrawn from the charge sheet due to their illness. They couldn’t stand trial. Their plea was not taken, meaning they will be arraigned again.

“We asked the police to release them since the court had discharged them and struck out their names from the charge, but the police refused. They took them back to the IRT,” Adeyanju explained.

Meanwhile, the Northern Comrades Movement of Nigeria and the organisers of the #EndBadGovernance protest in Lagos have condemned recent statements from the IG regarding the children who fainted in court on Friday.

In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, NCMN National Secretary Ahmad Ashir, said, “The IG’s assertion that the minors fainting in court was staged is utterly unacceptable. Video evidence clearly shows these minors collapsing, making this allegation not only baseless but deeply insensitive.

"To suggest that these minors fainted intentionally disregards the trauma they may have experienced. It’s imperative to prioritise their health and ensure they receive adequate medical care and psychological .”

A representative of the #EndBadGovernance organisers, Hassan Soweto, called for the immediate release of the children, saying, “It’s profoundly insensitive for the police to make such claims about children who have endured starvation and torture for three months. This is an outright insult.”

https://punchng.com/treason-attorney-general-considers-dropping-charges-against-hungry-minors/

Political solution can happen in treason charge? Lmaooo

Ndi igbos, Yoruba APC lead government granted solution to kids from Kano but refuse to grant same to Kanu to restore Peace in South East

k

Don't drop them, shameless animalz

Prosecute them with their parents!

Very mad set of people ruling us. If you're still defending this government, it will not be well with you and your household.

No o, don't drop the charges, allow them to die in custody since all of una dey mad.
Tinubu is the most useless president since the word Nigeria became the name of a country

mrvitalis:
Publical solution can happen in treason charge? Lmaooo

Ndi igbos, Yoruba APC lead government granted solution to kids from Kano but refuse to grant same to Kanu to restore Peace in South East

you are a fool, how many people have those kids killed unlike kanu the founder of ipob that keep killing our citizens and security? Think before you type oga

I have never met a more confused government

Today they are minors, tomorrow they are married adults with wife's and degree's

The same minors that have been voting for APC since 2011.

APC is one party that should never joke with children’s affairs, methinks….

No dem for no drop the çharges fools in power lobatan

Nawa o

mrvitalis:
Publical solution can happen in treason charge? Lmaooo

Ndi igbos, Yoruba APC lead government granted solution to kids from Kano but refuse to grant same to Kanu to restore Peace in South East

It is highly immoral to tribalise this issue.
All hands must be on deck to rescue those kids..

Although, the term KIDS is subjective, because during election, they are not kids.
The North has their own blame on how they handle their matters by weaponising hungry children for political activities but for the sake of humanity, we must maintain the tempo until those kids are released

The Tinubu led government is just "anywhere belly face". Very direction-less and uninspiring.

I thought FG lawyer said they were married with kids

Fear of losing Northern votes

Outrightly, they should be freed.

Shey attorney general no know before say there are minors amongst those accused, why this eye service and damage control.

R

Overzealous police with eye service..... How can you charge One for treason for flying a flag ? Where is it written in the Constitution that flying random flags is tantamount to treason?

Best thing to do because Nigeria police are useless human being, am very sure the main adult protesters have paid and left. They now arranged the poorly kids among them

RealLordZeus:

It is highly immoral to tribalise this issue.
All hands must be on deck to rescue those kids..

Although, the term KIDS is subjective, because during election, they are not kids.
The North has their own blame on how they handle their matters by weaponising hungry children for political activities but for the sake of humanity, we must maintain the tempo until those kids are released

So those kids are more important than the safety of 40 million South East residents?

Governors, senators, reps, traditional rulers, citizens , civil societies have all called for solution to Kanu issue especially after court freed him... Yet No

But he wants to rush to free the kiss that's good and fine.. But Igbos would sha

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Pls don't...
Maintain the madness💯💯💯
Useless govt of self serving THIEVES!

Olatunji1929:
you are a fool, how many people have those kids killed unlike kanu the founder of ipob that keep killing our citizens and security? Think before you type oga

Do you have any evidence IPOB have killed anyone... Any evidence that can stand beyond reasonable doubt

Bring it forward and get 2 million this Sunday u dare you

mrvitalis:

Do you have any evidence IPOB have killed anyone... Any evidence that can stand beyond reasonable doubt

Bring it forward and get 2 million this Sunday u dare you

I will add another 2 million if he provides the evidence.

That’s 4 million naira already

No, make he no consider
Make he leave Dem dere, that revolution wey we don dey rumor since will erupt like fire and consume those useless folks that have plunged this country into darkness

mrvitalis:
Publical solution can happen in treason charge? Lmaooo

Ndi igbos, Yoruba APC lead government granted solution to kids from Kano but refuse to grant same to Kanu to restore Peace in South East

😂 You lack sense, stop commenting base on emotions.

AntiChristian:


Prosecute them with their parents!

says a kafir