Kehinde Fajobi
The Nigeria Police Force has stated that individuals above the age of seven can legally face court charges, amid public backlash over the arraignment of young #EndBadGovernance protesters at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi addressed the matter on Friday, citing Nigerian law that permits prosecution of minors above seven, provided due legal protocols are followed.
He said, “Those exempt from criminal liability under the law are those below seven. Once you are above seven, you can be charged to court.
“The only consideration is the specific procedures required. None of them is younger than seven. The youngest is around 13.”
Adejobi added that age alone does not exempt individuals from prosecution, stating, “The fact that someone is 13 does not mean they cannot be charged to court. Even under the Children and Young Persons Act, individuals can still be charged. We have charged them on behalf of the Federal Government.”
Federal Government Counsel Rimazonte Ezekiel also weighed in after the court session on Friday, insisting that many of those arraigned were adults rather than minors.
“These boys that we brought to the court today are adults. Most of them are married men. None of them is a minor. Some of them are university graduates. The small kids you are seeing here today came with their parents to come and greet their loved ones,” he told journalists.
Ezekiel further alleged that certain individuals used the protests as a cover for violent activities, including displaying foreign flags.
“These are individuals who hijacked the #EndBadGovernance protests, became violent, and displayed flags from Russia and other countries, which is, of course, an offence. They are criminally liable, and we have not charged anyone underage.”
On Friday, the Federal Government arraigned 76 individuals, mainly teenagers, in connection with the August #EndBadGovernance protests.
As proceedings began, four alleged protesters collapsed in court. The court granted ₦10 million bail to each of the 72 remaining defendants, while the names of the four ailing individuals were removed from the charges.
All 72 defendants pleaded not guilty.