Pelumi Olajengbesi, a prominent lawyer, has urged Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, to drop the charges against #EndBadGovernance protesters and ensure their immediate release.
This appeal comes after the recent arraignment of 10 protesters on charges including treason and treasonable felony.
In a letter delivered to the AGF’s office on Tuesday, Olajengbesi argued that criminalizing peaceful protests demanding good governance is an affront to the rule of law. He emphasized the constitutional right to peaceful assembly and protest, stating, “The right to peaceful assembly and protest is the bedrock of any democratic society, enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and safeguarded by international human rights instruments to which Nigeria is a party.”
Olajengbesi warned against the dangers of suppressing dissent, noting, “It is incumbent upon us to prevent the normalization of criminalizing lawful dissent, which undermines the democratic fabric of our society.” He further cautioned that such actions could erode government legitimacy both domestically and internationally.
The lawyer urged the AGF to use his constitutional powers under Section 174(1) of the Nigerian Constitution and Section 107(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 to discontinue the proceedings against the protesters.
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The #EndBadGovernance demonstrations, which took place from August 1-10, saw Nigerians protesting against economic hardships attributed to President Bola Tinubu’s policies.
The government’s response has included a crackdown on protesters, with 75 individuals, including 28 minors, remanded in prison on August 22 pending investigation into alleged terrorism-related offenses.
