Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has revealed that the Federal Government was too embarrassed to bring the minors arrested during the August #EndBadGovernance protests to the courtroom in Abuja, Tuesday.
Recall that following the nationwide outcry over the arraignment and detention of minors involved in the protests, President Bola Tinubu directed that they be released.
Therefore, a Federal High Court in Abuja, today, struck out the treason charge preferred against the minors.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu struck out the charge after the application for the discontinuance was moved by Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, counsel to the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
Counsel to the defendants, including Mr Femi Fanala (SAN), did not oppose the application.
Consequently, Justice Egwuatu struck out the charge against the protesters who were minors.
Revealing what happened at the court, Falana said the the minors were kept out of the courtroom because the Federal Government was so ashamed.
He made the revelation, Tuesday, in Abuja at the public presentation of a book titled ‘Judicial Terrorism – A Macabre Trial and Death Sentences on Some Atvap (Kataf) People’.
The book was written in honour of retired Maj.-Gen. Zamani Lekwot by Richard Akinnola.
Falana said: “I want to join Bishop Matthew Kukah (who spoke earlier) again in congratulating the author for documenting this judicial perfection.
“It is a herculean task. Just this morning before this programme commenced, I was in the courts in Abuja, here, where 119 Nigerians, including 29 minors, were brought to court.
“But the government was so ashamed that we couldn’t take them to the courtroom unlike last week,” he said.
