Ends protest against bad governance: drama in court as authorities accuse minors among detained demonstrators of treason and mutiny

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The Nigerian government has charged another 76 police arrested during the End Bad Governance protests in August 2024, against Judge Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on ten counts of treason, criminal mischief and incitement to mutiny.

Police arrest at least 27 of the suspects as young boys under the age of 18, some as young as 14.

Four of the young defendants collapsed in court as the case began, prompting the judge to delay proceedings for some time.

The defendants can enter their pleas one by one after a court official translates the charges from English to Hausa. Dem pleads not guilty.

The government will charge ten people during the protests. The top accusation is that they are leaders and organizers of the protests, and that they are calling on the military to overthrow the government.

Some human rights activists told BBC Pidgin that the teenagers have been in custody since August when police arrested them, and that it has now been 80 days.

During the protest that lasted from August 1 to 10, videos were circulated on social media aimed at showing children and adults flying the Russian flag in front of parts of Nigeria’s northern region.

Tori says that by then the protesters are calling on Russia to intervene in the Nigeria issue.

Nigerian authorities later say they are not arresting people flying Russian flags for treason.

Among the allegations are that the boys “publicly wear, carry and display Russian flags, sing violent revolutionary songs and advocate a Russian invasion of the Nigerian sovereign entity to overthrow the democratic government of Nigeria.”