Former NBA President Daudu Criticizes ‘Treason’ Charges Against Youths As Misplaced And Obscene

Joseph Daudu, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has criticized the arraignment of suspects on alleged “treason” charges before a Federal High Court in Abuja, describing the charges as “obscene.” In a statement issued in Kaduna, Daudu argued that if any of the accused are under 16, they should be treated as minors, though they are often not afforded this consideration in crime-related cases.

He clarified that if the accused had been charged locally, he would find it more appropriate, and suggested that the highest charges applicable should be for offenses like “conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace,” “unlawful assembly,” “willful destruction of public property,” “theft” (or “stealing,” as commonly termed in southern Nigeria), and similar bailable state-level offenses such as “affray.” “The Attorney General of the Federation,” Daudu asserted, “has no locus to charge any of the young men we saw in the dock for offenses committed during the #end bad governance riots within the territory of their respective states.”

He further contended that prosecuting state offenses at a federal level reflects poorly on Nigeria’s federalism, where state governments appear to “abdicate their responsibilities” and allow federal overreach into citizens’ rights. “There was nothing treasonable in the conduct of these children or young men,” he stated, emphasizing that any minor offenses could have been handled in Juvenile or Magistrate Courts within their states.

Highlighting the prolonged detention of the defendants, Daudu remarked, “These defendants have already spent over 3 months in dehumanizing detention conditions. This is inhumane and breaches their fundamental rights. Even if they committed the alleged offenses (certainly not treason), the maximum sentences should be reasonable fines or, at most, short-term imprisonment.”

Daudu concluded by calling for the Federal Government to drop the charges and release those detained on state-level offenses, urging “adequate rehabilitative compensation” for those affected.