The prosecution of protesters arrested during the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria nationwide protest has commenced in several state Police Commands in the northern region of Nigeria.
While the demonstrations were mostly peaceful in the Southern states, they turned violent in the Northern parts, resulting in loss of lives, destruction of property worth billions of naira, and the imposition of curfews in at least five states.
The protests, spanning from August 1-10, aimed at addressing the escalating cost of living driven by fuel subsidy removal, high inflation rates, and governmental economic policies that devalued the naira against the dollar.
Amid reports of 17 fatalities in Abuja, Kano, Niger, Borno, Kaduna, and Jigawa on the protest’s first day, Amnesty International criticized the use of lethal force against protesters, alleging that security forces were responsible for the deaths of at least 21 demonstrators.
Subsequent to the demonstrations escalating into violence, particularly in Kano, Kaduna, Gombe, Katsina, Yobe, Bauchi, Borno, and Jigawa, police have proceeded to arrest protesters waving flags, including the Russian flag, with plans for their prosecution.
1,135 individuals face trial
Investigations reveal that a total of 1,135 individuals detained during the protests will be brought before the court, starting from today.
In Yobe State, 108 individuals arrested for various offenses, such as violating curfew regulations during the protests, are set to be arraigned in court, as announced by DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Yobe Command.
Many of the accused, initially arraigned on August 8 and denying the charges against them, anticipate further legal proceedings commencing today, according to Abdulkarim.
The police in Kano have 632 individuals in custody, arrested for alleged property damage during the protests, awaiting their court appearance on August 19, following their remand by a Kano State Mobile Court.
Various public and private facilities, including the Kano State Printing Press, Nigerian Communications Commission, and multiple vehicles, suffered vandalism and looting during the protests.
Barakat Stores, a popular supermarket in the city, reported losses exceeding N5bn due to the unrest.
Charges against the arrested individuals include criminal conspiracy, theft, unlawful assembly, incitement of disturbance, trespass, and mischief by fire.
A mobile court at the Kano Police Command Headquarters facilitated by Senior Magistrates Ibrahim Yola, Hadiza Bello, and Chief Magistrate Abba Dandago remanded the individuals, scheduling their next court appearance for August 19.
Salisu Tahir, the Director Public Prosecution for Kano State, asserted that the defendants committed the alleged offenses on August 1, the protest’s inaugural day, by trespassing and vandalizing public and government property.
The Prosecutor stated that the defendants breached sections 97, 287, 229, 336, 349, and 247 of the Penal Code, where some pleaded guilty while others denied the charges.
Following court proceedings, Haruna Dederi, the state Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, disclosed the establishment of three mobile courts within the State Police Command premises to handle the voluminous number of defendants.
In Gombe, a special court under Chief Judge Justice Halima Mohammed freed 14 out of the 111 protesters arrested on health and age grounds, with the remaining 97 awaiting scheduled court appearances.
Flag tailor being prosecuted
The Kaduna State Police Command revealed plans to charge 25 initial protesters, along with 39 additional individuals, including a tailor allegedly responsible for sewing the Russian flag, after completing investigations within a week.
According to ASP Mansir Hassan, the State Command’s PPRO, the protesters were promptly brought before the court post-arrest.
Similarly, over 50 protesters were apprehended in Bauchi State for breaching law and order during the protests, as confirmed by State Commissioner of Police Auwal Mohammed.
Forty-five protesters have been charged to court, while minors among the detained are undergoing counseling to safeguard their future as responsible citizens.
ASP Abubakar Sadiq, the Public Relations Officer for the Katsina State Police Command,
One of our contacts reported that the initial group of demonstrators totaling 64 individuals has been brought before the court.
“Yes, we have taken them to court, and the first set was 64. They were all formally charged between Monday and Friday of the previous week,” he mentioned.
The authorities in Niger State Police disclosed that 23 protestors, apprehended in the region, were transferred to the Niger State Criminal Investigation Department.
“All the suspects were moved to SCID Minna for further inquiry and will face trial once the ongoing probe is completed,” said Abiodun Wasiu, the spokesperson for the Niger command.
He revealed that various stolen items were confiscated from the arrested individuals.
“The apprehended suspects were found in possession of items such as office furniture, a car side mirror, electrical cables, safety gear, electronics, and other office supplies. These items were returned to the local government secretariat.”
The demonstration escalated into violence in Suleja and Tafa Local Government Areas of the state, resulting in the reported deaths of six protestors and the partial destruction of Tafa LGA secretariat.
The Borno State Police Command confirmed the arrest of 97 individuals in the Maiduguri metropolis during the nationwide protest, which led to four fatalities and numerous injuries in the state.
ASP Nahum Daso, the Command Public Relations Officer, stated that a trial date for the suspects is yet to be scheduled.
Among the 97 protestors detained, seven were social media influencers held for incitement and disrespect towards government officials, religious leaders, and traditional authorities. Additionally, seven persons were caught displaying foreign flags, perceived as a threat to national security.
Daso mentioned that the remaining 83 suspects were apprehended in different areas in Maiduguri for offenses like vandalism, theft, arson, and rioting.
“The arrests were made in connection to several acts including vandalism of property, theft at various locations, damage to public infrastructure, and looting at specific facilities,” highlighted Daso.
Various items were recovered by the police during the arrests, including consumer goods, office equipment, flags, and other miscellaneous items.
In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the exact number of protestors detained during the End Bad Governance protest was not officially announced by the police. However, reports from Amnesty International and a Civil Society Organisation, Enough is Enough, indicated over 50 arrests in the FCT.
Efforts to reach FCT command spokesperson Josephine Adeh proved futile as calls to her number were unsuccessful, and she had not responded to messages at the time of compiling this report.
Nevertheless, a police source mentioned that individuals not involved in criminal activities during the protest were being released after undergoing profiling.
Meanwhile, human rights activist and National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, Juwon Sanyaolu, condemned the prosecution of the protestors. He pledged to challenge the police in court to secure the release of all those arrested.
Sanyaolu criticized the current administration’s stance on rights violations and suppression of free expression and press freedom, comparing it unfavorably to the past government.
Similarly, Omole Ibukun, Initiate of the Creative Change Centre under the Network of Abuja Left Groups, condemned the trials, warning that any attempt to prosecute the protestors could spark renewed protests.
He emphasized that the violence witnessed during the #EndBadGovernance protests was a reaction to the heavy-handed response from security agencies and understandable in that context.
Moreover, Ibukun stressed that the government’s decision to try peaceful protestors was unwarranted and could potentially fuel further unrest, reflecting a lack of understanding of patriotism and citizen rights.