Human rights activist and #RevolutionNow convener Omoyele Sowore has accused the Nigerian police of intentionally delaying the trial of 11 protesters arrested during the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance demonstrations in Abuja.
During an interview on Channels Television’s Inside Sources, Sowore claimed that at the June 25 court hearing, police prosecutors requested another adjournment, citing incomplete case files. According to Sowore, the police blamed the delay on a former prosecutor, Simon Lough (SAN), who was reportedly dismissed from the force and allegedly took some files with him.
Sowore further stated that Lough is set to face separate charges for age falsification. The detained activists were arrested during nationwide protests against economic hardship, insecurity, and corruption—a continuation of the 2020 #EndSARS movement.
The protesters—Adaramoye Michael Lenin, Daniel Akande, Mosiu Sodeeq, and eight others—were charged with treason and detained for over two months before being granted bail under strict conditions.
At the recent hearing, the prosecution sought more time to review the case, but defense lawyers, including Deji Adeyanju and Marshal Abubakar, opposed the request, accusing the state of deliberate stalling. The judge adjourned the case to October 9, 2025, warning that further delays could lead to the case being dismissed.
Lenin, one of the defendants, has called for public pressure on the government to drop the charges, condemning what he described as an attack on democratic rights. The trial has drawn widespread attention amid concerns over Nigeria’s shrinking civic space.
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