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Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has responded to public concerns regarding the recent arraignment of minors involved in the #EndBadGovernance protests.
While commissioning a law firm’s new office in Abuja, Fagbemi clarified that arraigning minors in a Federal High Court is not unconstitutional, noting that serious charges like treason justify this jurisdiction.
Addressing criticism over the involvement of minors and reports of poor treatment of the defendants, the AGF stated that Nigerian law does not prohibit minors from being tried in court.
He dismissed calls for the case to be moved to a family court, stating, “The study of the law and the Constitution leaves you no other conclusion than that the Federal High Court has jurisdiction in matters bordering on treason and related issues.”
Despite the gravity of the charges, Fagbemi praised President Bola Tinubu for his decision to pardon and release the young protesters.
Fagbemi said, “The President was very compassionate…he said, despite all this, ‘I have children, grandchildren,’ and that motivated his passion to release them.”
He attributed the release to Tinubu’s “compassionate consideration.”