Federal Government Counsel Rimazonte Ezekiel has asserted that most of the 76 #EndBadGovernance protesters arraigned in connection with the August demonstrations are adults.
This statement was made following a session at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where the protesters—detained between August 1 and August 10—appeared before Justice Obiora Egwuatu.
Notably, four of the detainees, including two minors, reportedly fainted and were hospitalized. After a bail hearing, 114 protesters were granted bail set at N10 million each, with two sureties for a similar amount. Justice Egwuatu approved the bail after reviewing both defense and prosecution arguments and adjourned the case until January.
The presence of minors among the detained has sparked widespread outrage, with human rights groups, civil society organizations, political leaders, and commentators criticizing the Tinubu administration’s handling of the protests. In response, Ezekiel defended the government’s stance in a press conference after the court proceedings, arguing that those referred to as minors were actually adults, with some even having families.
“These individuals are adults,” Ezekiel stated, explaining that some were married and others were university graduates, adding that young children seen in court were visiting with their parents.
Ezekiel further explained that many of the detainees were arrested in Kaduna and Zaria and expressed concerns over the alleged presence of foreign flags and calls for regime change during the protests.
“These young men are not the true suspects in this case,” he said, “but they have been using Russian flags and calling on the military to overthrow our government. Do they not value the cost of democracy in Nigeria?”
He added, “Is it fair to call for the removal of state governors? No one is denying their rights; everyone is enjoying their fundamental freedoms. But these protests, with foreign flags, threaten the stability of our democracy.”
