The Federal High Court in Abuja witnessed a tense moment when five minors, detained during the August #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests, collapsed in the courtroom on Friday while on trial for alleged treason and an attempted coup against President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
One of the undernourished minors fainted initially, followed by four others who also fell to the floor.
The courtroom was thrown into disarray as the young defendants were asked to enter the dock.
Lawyers and court staff quickly tended to the minors before they were taken to the hospital, causing a temporary pause in proceedings.
Following this, the prosecution moved to dismiss the charges on health grounds under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015. However, defense attorney Abubakar Marshal pressed for the minors to be released into their parents’ care.
