Nigeria's president Bola Tinubu

NIGERIA COURT FREES 119 PROTESTERS, SOME FACING DEATH PENALTY, AFTER GOVERNMENT DROPS CHARGES

November 6, 2024:

A Nigerian court freed 119 people, including 30 minors, on November 5, 2024, after the authorities dropped charges against them arising from deadly protests in August against economic hardship.
The accused had faced charges including treason and inciting a military coup and had been arraigned in batches of 76 and 43 on November 1st.
One of the charges carried the death penalty.
President Bola Tinubu on November 4 ordered the release of all minors detained during anti-government protests in August and dropped the charges against them.
Arraignment of minors sparked public outrage and criticism of the government after they were paraded in court on November 1st.
“The case has been struck out and the 119 protesters have been released,” Deji Adeyanju, counsel to the protesters, told Reuters.
“Now we are asking for their rehabilitation and compensation by their various state governments.”
The country’s attorney general took over the case from the police and dropped the charges after bringing forward the matter due to be heard in January.
In August, thousands of Nigerians protested in the commercial capital Lagos, Abuja, and several other cities against Tinubu's painful economic reforms that have stoked inflation and led to the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
Amnesty International said at least 22 people died during the demonstrations in clashes with security forces.