Lawyer asks AGF to halt trial of #EndBadGovernance protesters

Festus Ogun, a Lagos-based human rights lawyer, has asked the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, to discontinue the charges filed against #EndBadGovernance protesters. 

Nigerians staged a 10-day nationwide protest to demanded a reduction in the cost of governance, a return to the petrol subsidy regime, food security, and fiscal discipline, among others.

The demonstration turned violent in many parts of the country, with looting and vandalism recorded in some states.

The police announced the arrest of alleged perpetrators in some states and secured an order to detain 124 of them in prison custody within the federal capital territory (FCT) for 60 days pending the conclusion of investigations.

Already, 10 of the 124 persons took their plea before a federal high court in Abuja and were granted bail in the sum of N1 million each.

In a letter dated September 20 and addressed to the AGF, Ogun described the charges as “malicious and ill-motivated”, adding that it an abuse of court process and a waste of the country’s financial resources.

“In fact, the rest of us that participated in the nationwide protest were described in the charge as ‘others now at large’, thereby making us potential defendants and prisoners of conscience,” the lawyer said.

“Precisely, count 5 charged the defendants for carrying placards with the inscription #EndBadGovernance; which revealed the very motive behind the entire arraignment.

“No doubt, protest is a fundamental right guaranteed under Sections 39, 40 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution. Moreso, as a constitutional democracy, demanding an end to obvious misrule and bad governance is a legitimate demand by citizens.

“Now, leveling bogus criminal charges against citizens for simply mobilizing and demanding for a better country is purely an abuse of judicial process and waste of meager government resources.”

Ogun accused the federal government of “setting a dangerous precedent for overzealous law enforcement agencies to (mis)use the judicial systemin persecuting citizens that dare to hold government accountable”.

“The charge is undemocratic and paints the Nigerian Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a brutal dictator who persecutes dissent voices,” he said.

“Needless to mention how this arbitrariness would diminish our country’s democracy and further smear our international reputation.

“Considering the foregoing, we respectfully request that you exercise your constitutional powers to discontinue the frivolous and undemocratic charges in FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024 against the defendants in line Section 174(1) of the 1999 Constitution, in the overall interest of the public and our nascent democracy.”