A teenager, one of the 76 people charged before a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, November 1 by the Nigerian Police for participating in the recent EndBadGovernance protest across the country, has collapsed.
The teenager, who is about 15 years old, slumped in the courtroom as the charge was about to be read to him and other defendants.
The incident forced the judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, to abruptly halt the proceedings and return to his chambers.
Lawyers in the courtroom rushed the frail-looking boy to the court’s clinic as his co-defendants, who are mostly teenagers, sobbed uncontrollably.
One of the counsel representing the defendants, Mr. Deji Adeyanju, had earlier disclosed that the minors had spent over 80 days in police custody.
He revealed that the 76 defendants, who will be answering a 10-count charge marked FCH/ABJ/CS/503/2024, are among many others that were arrested in Abuja and Kano State during the protest in July and August of this year.
Specifically, police, in the charge that was signed by its team of lawyers led by DCP Simon Lough (SAN), alleged that the defendants, alongside others that are currently at large, had, between July 31 and August 4, at Abuja and Kano metropolis, while acting in concert and with intent to destabilize Nigeria, conspired together to commit felony.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants committed treason, an offence contrary to Section 96 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 97 of the Code.
Details shortly…
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