The Solidarity Network for Workers’ Rights (SNWR) has called on the Nigerian government to immediately drop all charges against the group of 11 young activists popularly referred to as the “Abuja 11,” describing their ongoing prosecution as a “sham trial” and “an assault on democracy.”
In a statement titled “Drop All Charges Against the Abuja 11: End the Sham Trial,” and signed by Daniel Akande on behalf of the Solidarity Network for Workers’ Rights on Tuesday, the group condemned what it called the continued persecution of young Nigerians who participated in last year’s protest against hardship and bad governance.
“We, the Solidarity Network for Workers’ Rights (SNWR), once again raise our voice to condemn the ongoing persecution of eleven young activists popularly known as the Abuja 11. These activists, including our comrade Daniel Akande, were arrested, detained, and charged with treason and terrorism simply for exercising their constitutional right to protest against hardship and bad governance,” the statement read.
According to the organization, the #EndBadGovernance protest of August 2024 was “a legitimate response to the unbearable economic conditions imposed by the Bola Tinubu regime.”
It added, “The reckless removal of fuel subsidy, currency devaluation, and other anti-people capitalist policies have deepened poverty, unemployment, and hunger. Rather than address these grievances, the government resorted to repression, arresting peaceful protesters and branding them enemies of the state.”
The group criticized the handling of the case, noting that “for over a year now, these activists have endured endless adjournments, intimidation, and financial strain as the state continues to manipulate the judicial process.”
It further alleged that “the prosecution has consistently failed to present any credible evidence,” while recalling that “the first prosecutor, Simon A. Lough (SAN), was compulsorily retired for falsifying his age and abusing his office.”
“This same officer was responsible for dragging innocent young people before the court on baseless charges,” SNWR added, noting that the case has since been reassigned to a new prosecutor, Ibrahim Muhammed, “who recently pleaded for more time to study the case.”
“This request further proves that the state is not prepared to prosecute because there is no case. The prolonged delay is a calculated attempt to punish the defendants through emotional and economic exhaustion,” the statement continued.
The group demanded the “immediate dismissal of all charges against the Abuja 11,” insisting that “the continued trial represents a gross violation of their rights and an assault on democracy.”
SNWR also called for compensation for the defendants’ “losses and trauma” and criticized the government’s “broader repression of free speech and protest,” which it said “reflects the deepening crisis of capitalism in Nigeria.”
“The same state that cannot pay workers a living wage or provide basic social services continues to waste resources on political witch-hunts,” it said.
The group accused the government of enriching a few elites through its economic reforms, saying, “The removal of fuel subsidy and the privatization of public assets have enriched a handful of elites, including the Dangote monopoly in the oil sector, while workers and the poor sink deeper into misery.”
Reaffirming its commitment to “the struggle for socialist democracy and economic justice in Nigeria,” SNWR urged “trade unions, civil society organizations, international human rights bodies, and progressive movements around the world to stand in solidarity with the Abuja 11 and all victims of state repression in Nigeria.”
“We demand an end to the criminalization of dissent and a return to a system where the people’s voice matters,” the statement concluded, adding that, “The Abuja 11 committed no crime. They are victims of an unjust system that fears truth and resists accountability. Their courage represents the conscience of a generation determined to reclaim its future.”
In June, SaharaReporters reported that a Federal High Court in Abuja had threatened to strike out the treason case against the 11 youths accused by the government of participating in the August 2024 peaceful #EndBadGovernance protest.
Justice Emeka Nwite issued the warning after the trial stalled. Proceedings could not proceed following an application for adjournment by the new prosecutor, Ibrahim Muhammed, who stated that he needed time to familiarize himself with the case.
Those standing trial are Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye (aka Lenin), Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi (aka Yomi), Suleiman Yakubu, Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo Simon (aka Bob-Simon), Angel Love Innocent (aka Loveth), Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello (aka Murtala), Nuradeen Khamis, Abdulsalam Zubairu, and Daniel Akande.
