Seventy-six #EndBadGovernance protesters, detained since August, arrived at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday for arraignment before Justice Obiora Egwuatu.
Among the detainees were young teenagers, visibly malnourished and frail. During the hearing, four minors collapsed and were quickly escorted from the courtroom as they were unable to remain on their feet due to extreme weakness.
Many of the protesters showed signs of severe health deterioration, writhing in pain and barely able to stand.
The protesters, arrested during the nationwide demonstrations from August 1 to 10, were detained across multiple states, including Abuja, Kaduna, Gombe, Jos, Katsina, and Kano.
Recall that The #EndBadGovernance protests erupted in response to worsening economic hardships across Nigeria, drawing citizens to the streets to voice their grievances over rising costs of living and governance concerns.
The detained individuals face serious charges, including treason and other criminal offenses.
Several detainees, including Nura Ibrahim, 24; Abdulbasi Abdusalami, 34; Ahmed Yusuf, 25; and Umar Musa, 15, looked visibly ill.
Videos from the courtroom obtained by the Punch show protesters appearing malnourished and unkempt, with some sprawled on the floor, groaning in distress.
Concerned observers provided biscuits and bottled water to the detainees, who were reportedly starving after going without food for days.
A witness at the scene voiced concern over the detainees' condition, particularly that of the younger protesters, saying, “These are boys between 12 and 14 years old. They have been held in detention for three months without proper care or food.
It’s heartbreaking to see them so malnourished, collapsing from hunger.”
The hearing emphasised the challenging conditions faced by the detainees, who have spent months in detention under allegedly harsh and inadequate conditions.
Their plight has sparked outrage among activists and human rights organizations, amplifying calls for a more humane approach to handling peaceful protesters and a renewed emphasis on protecting the rights of minors in detention.
Meanwhile, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, 7th October, granted a bail variation for five #EndBadGovernance protesters, slashing the bail amount to N5 million each.
It was learnt that five of the ten #EndBadGovernance protesters, previously remanded in prison by the Federal Government, struggled to meet the original bail conditions.
Counsel for the 1st, 2nd, and 4th defendants, Marshall Abubakar revealed that some of the protesters have been unable to secure a surety with landed property in Abuja, which is one of the bail requirements.
