Nigeria government arraigns 76 malnourished children in court for joining hunger protest

November 1, 2024 | 11:30 AM ET |

Abuja: There was chaos at a federal high court in Abuja on Friday after some children who allegedly took part in the #EndBadGovernance protests collapsed while waiting to be arraigned.

The court had fixed Friday for the arraignment of the defendants, who are mostly minors.

At the commencement of proceedings, the children who looked ill and malnourished were asked to come forward to take their plea.

While some huddled in the dock, others stood outside the cubicle due to insufficient space.

However, four of them were hurriedly rushed out of the courtroom after they collapsed and writhed in pain.

Obiora Egwuatu, presiding judge, had to rise abruptly before calm returned to the courtroom.

When the court session resumed, the prosecution asked that the names of the four ill children be removed from the charge.

The application was granted and the other defendants were arraigned.

The 76 defendants, who were arrested in Abuja, Kaduna, Gombe, Jos, Katsina, and Kano states, are being accused of treason, among other offences.

PROTEST HISTORY

The nationwide protest against economic hardship and “bad governance” lasted from August 1–10.

The protesters demanded a reduction in the cost of governance, a return to the petrol subsidy regime, food security, and fiscal discipline, among others.

The demonstration turned violent in some parts of the country, with looting and vandalism recorded in some states.

Following the protests, the police announced the arrest of alleged perpetrators in some states.