Eleven #EndBadGovernance Protesters to Face Treason Trial in Abuja Amid Outcry

Eleven activists arrested during the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests are set to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday to face treason charges brought by the Nigerian government.

The trial, delayed multiple times since its initial filing in November 2024, has drawn widespread national and international scrutiny amid concerns over increasing repression of peaceful dissent in Nigeria. The defendants include Adaramoye Michael Lenin, Daniel Akande, Mosiu Sodeeq, Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaluwa Eleojo Simeon, Angel Love Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Bashir Bello, Nuradeen Khamis, and Abdulsalam Zubairu.

They were arrested during peaceful protests that erupted across Nigerian cities last August in response to worsening economic conditions and alleged government mismanagement. The activists were held in detention for over two months before being granted bail under what human rights groups described as “stringent and unjust conditions.”

The Youth Rights Campaign (YRC), a socialist-leaning advocacy group, has condemned the charges as baseless and politically motivated. In a statement issued Tuesday, YRC National Secretary Francis Nwapa said, “Protesting against anti-poor policies is not treason.” The group is demanding the immediate dismissal of all charges and an end to the ongoing trial.

According to the YRC, the prosecution’s main evidence consists of placards carried by the protesters bearing the slogan “End Bad Government”—an act authorities claim constitutes treason, a capital offense under Nigerian law.

The group argues the government has no intention of securing a conviction but is instead using the case to intimidate dissenters and discourage future protests. “This trial is a deliberate attempt to criminalize dissent and send a warning to others,” the YRC said. “Even if the trial proceeds, we expect it will be unnecessarily prolonged.”

The August protests were sparked by soaring inflation, the removal of fuel subsidies, and a sharp devaluation of the naira, which have severely impacted living standards across the country. Protesters demanded sweeping economic reforms and greater accountability from the Tinubu administration.

Amnesty International, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), and other civil society groups have raised alarm over what they describe as a pattern of suppressing peaceful protest and targeting youth-led movements in Nigeria. In previous cases, charges against minors involved in similar demonstrations were dropped following intense local and international pressure.

The YRC has renewed its call for solidarity, urging civil society organizations, trade unions, and human rights bodies—both within and outside Nigeria—to speak out against what it calls a “calculated repression of democratic rights.”

“The only reason bail was eventually granted was due to sustained local and international pressure,” the group said. “The same kind of public outcry forced the government to drop treason charges against minors in similar cases last year.”

Despite the threat of prosecution, sporadic protests have continued across the country, demanding economic justice and the protection of democratic freedoms.

“We salute the resilience of Nigerian youths and working people who continue to protest despite the government’s intimidation tactics,” the YRC said.