Prominent Human Rights Lawyer, Professor Mike Ozekhome (SAN), has lauded the Federal Government’s decision to halt the trial of minors charged with treason over their involvement in the #EndBadGovernance protest.
Ozekhome criticized the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), for escalating the matter by charging the minors with treason merely for waving foreign flags, arguing that such actions fall far short of treason under Nigerian law.
In his statement, Ozekhome contended that the trial should have been held in Family Courts under the Child Rights Act, not at the Federal High Court in Abuja, as minors are legally protected under Nigeria’s child laws.
He emphasized that trying minors in regular courts could criminalize free expression, which is constitutionally guaranteed.
“It is far-fetched to charge minors with treason for merely waving a foreign flag.
“There must be an overt act capable of showing intent to overthrow the government,” he said, noting that neither intent nor action was present in this case.
Ozekhome further highlighted that the Penal Code, which applies in the North, and the Criminal Code in the South define treason as acts aimed at destabilizing the state, not minor protests.
He argued that the children should have been tried in either Kaduna or Kano under local laws, describing the trial in Abuja as “far-fetched and legally flawed.”
Praising the government’s move to discontinue the trial, Ozekhome emphasized the importance of protecting minors’ rights within Nigeria’s legal framework, while holding the NPF accountable for procedural missteps.
