Drama In Abuja Court As Malnourished Underage Protesters Collapse During Arraignment.
A scene of mild drama unfolded at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, 1 November, when several teenagers, arraigned by the Nigeria Police in connection with the #EndBadGovernance protests, fainted in the courtroom, reportedly due to hunger and malnutrition.
The young defendants face serious charges, including terrorism, an alleged attempt to overthrow the government, and mutiny, following their involvement in protests held between 1 and 10 August. According to defence lawyer Marshall Abubakar, the group has been charged in two separate batches—76 in the first batch and 49 in the second.
The incident occurred just minutes after the first group was called to the dock, as some of the teenagers collapsed, causing confusion and prompting the presiding judge to suspend proceedings temporarily. “A couple of them fainted inside the courtroom because of maltreatment; they haven’t eaten for some days,” a source reported.
The teenagers were initially detained by order of Justice Emeka Nwite, who granted the police’s request to hold them for up to 60 days to conclude investigations. Thirteen of the defendants were reportedly brought to court from the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) cells, while others were transported from different detention centres across Abuja.
This development highlights concerns over the treatment of young detainees and raises questions about the conditions in which they have been held.
