The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the case against 119 protesters charged in connection with the #EndBadGovernance protests, effectively ordering their release.
On Tuesday, Justice Obiora Egwuatu struck out the suit after M.D. Abubakar, counsel to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), filed an application to take over and discontinue the case. During the court session, Abubakar invoked Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution, which grants the AGF the power to assume control of or discontinue any criminal proceedings initiated by other authorities, including the Inspector General of Police.
Justice Egwuatu granted Abubakar’s request to halt the trials of the 119 accused individuals, citing the constitutional provision. With no objections from the defense, the judge proceeded to dismiss all charges.
While the accused were not physically present in court, Justice Egwuatu ordered their immediate release from custody, marking a significant development in the legal proceedings related to the protests.
