ABUJA, Nigeria
Ten people who took part in
last month’s protests across Nigeria have been charged with treason and other
serious offences at the federal high court in the capital, Abuja.The accused, who have been in detention for almost a month, all pleaded not guilty
All of the accused pleaded not
guilty.
The demonstrations, dubbed
"10 days of rage", were called in response to the extremely tough
economic times many are living through.
They turned violent in some
places as protesters clashed with security forces leaving at least seven dead,
according to police, though rights groups have put the death toll at 23.
There were also nearly 700
arrests.
As well as treason, the 10 who
appeared in court on Monday were charged with the destruction of public
property and injuring police officers.
They were accused of working
with a British citizen “to destabilise Nigeria by calling on the military to
take over government from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu", according to the
charge sheet.
They allegedly shouted:
"Tinubu must go, it is soldiers we want."
Despite an appeal that the 10
accused should be bailed as they had already been held for a month, the court
decided that they would remain in custody.
Rights group Amnesty
International earlier criticised the legal process and called the trial "a
sham”.
Last month, it called for
investigations into the killings during the protests.
Demonstrations in all major
Nigerian cities began on 1 August with people chanting slogans such as “we are
hungry" and "end bad governance”.
The protests, organised
through social media, were in part inspired by the success of demonstrators in
Kenya who forced the government to scrap plans to increase taxes.
In some parts of the country
curfews were imposed. The authorities said the protests had been "hijacked
by thugs" who engaged in widespread looting and the destruction of
property.
Nigeria is experiencing its
worst economic crisis in a generation. Annual inflation stands at more than
30%. Food prices have risen even faster - for example, in the commercial hub,
Lagos, yams, a staple food, are almost four times more expensive than last
year.
No comments:
Post a Comment