Audio By Carbonatix
A Nigerian court freed 119 people including minors on Tuesday, after the authorities dropped charges against them arising from deadly protests in August against economic hardship.
The accused had faced charges including treason and inciting a military coup and had been arraigned in batches of 76 and 43 last Friday. One of the charges carried the death penalty.
President Bola Tinubu on Monday ordered the release of all minors detained during anti-government protests in August and dropped the charges against them.
"The case has been struck out and the 119 protesters have been released," Deji Adeyanju, counsel to the protesters, told Reuters.
"Now we are asking for their rehabilitation and compensation by their various state governments."
The country's attorney general took over the case from the police and dropped the charges after bringing forward the matter due to be heard in January.
Latest Stories
-
Canadian airline to start cancelling flights ahead of planned strike
58 minutes -
Death of Venezuelan opposition figure in custody ‘vile’, US says
1 hour -
Trump says $72bn Netflix-Warner Bros deal ‘could be a problem’
1 hour -
Nigerian gov’t secures release of 100 kidnapped schoolchildren, Channels TV says
2 hours -
Shooting at South African bar leaves 11 dead, including a young child, police say
2 hours -
Bobi Wine says Uganda security forces beat him
2 hours -
Trump criticises Democrat he pardoned over not switching political parties
2 hours -
Nigeria seeks French help to combat insecurity, Macron says
2 hours -
Congo fighting flares within hours of Trump’s peace deal ceremony
2 hours -
Chevron to join Nigeria oil licence auction, plans rig deployment in 2026
3 hours -
In Nigeria, anguish turns to anger for parents of kidnapped children
3 hours -
Trump set to unveil $12bn farm aid package, Bloomberg News says
3 hours -
‘I’m not mentally unstable’ – 2Baba cries out
5 hours -
‘I was bullied into supporting Tinubu’ – Actress Bimbo Akintola
5 hours -
Why I refused to sign Flavour – Kcee
5 hours