No Law In Nigeria Prohibits Prosecution Of Minors – AGF
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The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has clarified that there is no law in Nigeria that specifically prohibits the prosecution of minors, particularly in cases involving serious charges such as those related to the #EndBadGovernance protests.
Fagbemi made the statement on Thursday during the commissioning of the new office complex for the Law Corridor and the presentation of a book on the modern legal system.
The AGF’s remarks come in response to widespread criticism of the federal government’s decision to arraign minors who had participated in the nationwide protest against bad governance.
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The #EndBadGovernance protests, which took place between August 1 and 10, 2024, led to the arrest of several demonstrators across the country.
Among those arrested were minors, sparking public outrage and calls for the charges against them to be dropped. Following President Bola Tinubu’s intervention, the AGF withdrew the charges, and the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed the cases against 119 individuals, including the minors.
The minors were subsequently released and hosted by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the State House.
In his address, Fagbemi stated, “No law in this country says a minor cannot be tried. I have also heard suggestions that they should go to a family court.
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.”
Fagbemi’s comments sought to defend the decision to initially charge the minors, explaining that it was within the legal framework for such cases to be handled in the Federal High Court.
However, he acknowledged President Tinubu’s decision to have the minors released, emphasizing that the matter had been concluded.
