Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday struck out all treason and terrorism-related charges filed against 11 protesters arrested during the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance demonstrations.
Described by rights advocates as a “landmark judgment,” the court’s decision fully acquitted the activists, who had been on trial for over a year.
Reacting to the ruling, one of the freed protesters and activists, Adaramoye Michael Lenin, wrote on Facebook, “Historic victory today! Justice Emeka Nwite struck out the treason and terrorism charges against 11 EndBadGovernance protesters and acquitted all of us.”
The protesters had been accused of attempting to destabilise the country during the demonstrations, which spread across several Nigerian cities in August 2024.
Naijaonpoint reports that the protests were sparked by frustration over rising insecurity, inflation, and alleged governance failures under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The acquitted individuals, Adaramoye Michael Lenin, Daniel Akande, Mosiu Sodeeq, Adeyemi Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaluwa Elego Simeon, Angel Love Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Basir Bello, Nurudeen Khamis, and Abdulsalam Zubairu, had faced multiple charges, including treasonable felony, unlawful assembly, and alleged ties to terrorism.
Security agencies, during the heat of the protests, labelled some participants as threats to national security and detained them under controversial circumstances.
© 2025 Naijaonpoint, a division of NOP Media Inc. Contact us via [email protected]