Ten individuals who participated in last month’s widespread protests in Nigeria have been charged with treason and other severe offenses in a federal high court in Abuja.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include destruction of public property and injuring police officers.
The protests, dubbed “10 days of rage,” were sparked by Nigeria’s severe economic downturn, with demonstrators demanding an end to bad governance and calling for military intervention.
The protests turned violent, resulting in at least seven deaths and nearly 700 arrests.
The accused are alleged to have collaborated with a British citizen to destabilise the government and overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Despite appeals for bail, the court ordered the defendants to remain in custody.
Rights group Amnesty International has criticized the trial, calling it a “sham” and urging investigations into the kill!ngs during the protests.
Nigeria is grappling with its worst economic crisis in a generation, with annual inflation exceeding 30% and food prices skyrocketing.”
