Lawyers and civil society organizations (CSOs) have expressed outrage over the continued detention of #EndBadGovernance protesters, two months after the protests that occurred from August 1-10 across the country.
As of last night, many of the detained protesters remain unprosecuted, with minors among those held in police, Department of State Services (DSS) facilities, or prisons. While some minors arrested during the protests have been released on bail, others are still awaiting bail.
In Nasarawa State, out of the 50 protesters arrested, 10 minors have been released, while 40 adults are facing charges in court, according to Police PRO, DSP Ranhan Nansel.
In Sokoto, 109 protesters were arrested, with Attorney-General Nasiru Binji stating that many had been released on bail, while others remain in prison custody.
In Kaduna State, six arrested protesters have been freed under the order of the DSS Director-General, Adeola Ajayi, while three others have been charged to court.
The situation is particularly concerning in Kano State, where around 600 protesters (including 76 who displayed Russian flags) were arrested and later transferred to Police Force headquarters in Abuja. While many have reportedly been charged and bailed, the exact number still in detention is unclear.
In Jigawa State, out of the 419 protesters arrested, 390 have been arraigned in court, with 29 released, as per Police PRO DSP Lawan Adam.
In Zamfara, Police PRO Yazid Abubakar noted that nine protesters had been charged to court, but it remains uncertain whether they were detained or granted bail.
The ongoing detentions have raised significant concerns about the treatment of protesters and the state of civil liberties in the country.