By Mario Deepromoter
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has advised President Bola Tinubu to direct the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to withdraw treason charges against EndBadGovernance protesters.
While faulting the increasing use of treason charges against protesters in the country, the renowned legal practitioner warned that the misuse of treason charges could backfire on the government as it has in the past.
Falana made the call on Tuesday at a two-day international anti-corruption and climate change conference organised by Human and Environmental Agenda (HEDA) in partnership with Hawkmoth and in support of the MacArthur, in Abuja on Tuesday.
The Federal Government on Monday filed treason charges against 10 protesters, including a British citizen, Andrew Martin Wynne (also known as Andrew Povich), in connection with the recent #EndBadGovernance protests.
The 10 protesters charged were: Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye (also known as Lenin), 28; Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi (also known as Yomi), 34; Suleiman Yakubu, 28; Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo Simeon, 50; Angel Love Innocent, 51; Buhari Lawal, 21; Mosiu Sadiq, 28; Bashir Bello (also known as Murtala), 51; Nuradeen Khamis, 47; and Abdulsalam Zubairu, 37.
The charges also include others at large, such as Lucky Ehis Obiyan and Comrade Musa Abdullahi.
The charges, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, include felony and treason, contrary to Section 96 and punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code.
The protesters are accused of conspiring to destabilize Nigeria, inciting mutiny, and levying war against the state.
But Falana questioned the rationale behind charging citizens with treason simply for exercising their right to protest, assuring the public that there is no cause for alarm.
“I have been under pressure in the last 24 hours from Nigeria and abroad. People are wondering why the charge of treason is being tribalised in our country. How can you say that because people protested, they are being charged with treason?
“All those who have expressed concern, do not be bothered; there is no cause for alarm.
“We are taking up the case, and we are going to advise the government, particularly the President, to direct the police to withdraw the charge. And that advice is also in the interest of the government because a treason charge is not like a charge of stealing.
“This will be the fifth treason charge I am going to defend in our country,” Falana noted. “In the four previous cases, the government was compelled to withdraw the charges because we turned the case into the trial of the government.”