The Federal Government of Nigeria is set to arraign several organisers of the recent hunger protests before the Federal High Court in Abuja today (Monday). The defendants, facing six counts filed by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, include a British citizen, Andrew Wynne, also known as Andrew Povich.
The charge sheet, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024, accuses the defendants of “treason, destabilising the country, intimidating the President, and destroying the NCC in Kano,” among other serious charges. The Inspector-General alleges that between July 1 and August 4, 2024, the protesters conspired to commit treason and other felonies, with the intent to destabilise Nigeria.
The protests, which ran from August 1 to 10 under the hashtag #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, were a response to the economic hardships faced by Nigerian citizens. According to human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), a total of 2,111 individuals were arrested during the 10-day nationwide protests. Falana revealed that 1,403 of those arrested have been arraigned in courts and are currently remanded in prisons, largely due to a lack of legal representation.
The defendants named in the court documents include Micheal Adaramoye (aka Lenin), Adeyemi Ahayomi (aka Yomi), Suleiman Yakubu, Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo, Angel Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello (aka Murtala), Nursdeen Khamis, Abdulsalam Zubairu, Andrew Wynne (aka Andrew Povich), Lucky Obryan, and Comrade Musa Abdollahi.
The charges against them, as stated by Inspector-General Egbetokun, include acting in concert and conspiring to commit felony with the intent to incite mutiny, contrary to Sections 95 and 96 of the Penal Code, and punishable under Section 97. The IG further accuses the defendants, alongside Andrew Wynne, of waging war against the state in order to intimidate or overawe the President. This included attacks on police officers, the burning of police stations, and the destruction of several government buildings and properties in multiple states.
Activists have not remained silent. A petition has been submitted to the International Criminal Court and the United States Embassy, demanding the release of the detained protesters. The petition, signed by international activists, calls for an end to what they describe as “trumped-up charges” against the protestors and condemns the government’s response to the demonstrations.
The organisers of the protests, represented by Femi Falana, are set to face a mass trial. As the international community watches closely, the outcome of these proceedings could have significant implications for civil liberties and political expression in Nigeria.
