Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Wednesday delivered a landmark ruling after striking out all treason and terrorism-related charges filed against the 11 protesters arrested during the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests.
Abubakar Marshal, counsel for 11 #EndBadGovernance protesters tried by the Bola Tinubu administration, has demanded immediate compensation and formal apology from the Nigerian government after an Abuja court on Wednesday discharged and acquitted his clients.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Wednesday delivered a landmark ruling after striking out all treason and terrorism-related charges filed against the 11 protesters arrested during the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests.
The judge’s decision, described by activist, Adaramoye Michael Lenin as a “historic victory,” resulted in the full acquittal of the accused, who had been detained and prosecuted for allegedly participating in what security agencies previously labelled as a threat to national security.
However, Marshal, speaking to journalists outside the court, described the case as “a state-backed persecution anchored on fear of dissent,” insisting that the only offence of the protesters was demanding good governance and accountability.
According to him, these are rights guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution.
“This government sustained this charge for over a year. The only crime that these comrades committed was asking for a better society,” Marshal said.
He stressed that the demands made by the protesters were not criminal but constitutional.
“Chapter 2, Section 14 of the Constitution clearly states that sovereignty belongs to the people. If sovereignty is vested in citizens, on what legal or moral ground did the government criminalise those same citizens for insisting that governance should serve public good?” he said.
The 11 activists were arrested in multiple states and transported to Abuja, their bank accounts frozen and their activities monitored. According to Marshal, they were “paraded to the world as criminals, their livelihoods seized and their dignity damaged.”
“For almost two years, their lives were suspended. Their accounts were frozen for over a year, and some of them still cannot access their funds as we speak,” he said, accusing the government of deliberately weaponising detention and trial to silence civic voices.
He described the proceedings that dragged on for months as “a sham trial,” noting that the state initially filed three charges, later withdrew two “after endless pleas and procedural embarrassment,” while the last was finally struck out by the court on Thursday.
“The court has seen reason with us and has dismissed the case today and discharged and acquitted the defendants. The next demand we are making is very clear: these 11 comrades must be compensated. We are not begging.”
Marshal noted that the activists suffered psychological trauma, economic loss and reputational damage for merely asking government to end bad governance.
He said, “These comrades committed no offence other than demanding responsible leadership. That demand is not illegitimate.
“It is the government that violated constitutional principles, violated their freedoms, and violated the very social contract that binds state and citizen.”
“The world saw them as criminals because the government painted them that way,” Marshal continued. “Today, the court has cleaned that stain. Now the government must repair the damage, not with empty talk, but with compensation, restoration of accounts, and public acknowledgment that these citizens did nothing wrong.”