Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has urged the Nigerian government to withdraw the treason charges against participants in the #EndBadGovernance protests from August.
Falana criticized the ongoing trial of the arrested protesters at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The court recently granted bail to all ten protesters arrested in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, and Gombe, with each required to pay N10 million and provide a surety with landed property in Abuja.
The protesters have been held in Kuje Correctional Centre since September 2, following their arraignment and the court’s rejection of their lawyers’ oral bail application. Justice Emeka Nwite, ruling on the bail application, affirmed that the charges are bailable and granted bail to the defendants.
Falana commended the legal team representing the defendants, including Abubakar Marshall and Deji Adeyanju, and argued that the charges are baseless and should be dismissed. He referenced the case of Ahmed Ebute v Federal Republic of Nigeria, involving six senators charged under the Sani Abacha regime in 1994, who were granted bail before their charges were dropped.
Falana emphasized that protesting against government policies does not constitute treason under the Criminal Code. He called for the withdrawal of the treason charges, warning that the defense might shift the focus to a critique of the neoliberal policies of the Bola Tinubu administration, which triggered the protests.
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