In a statement issued on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, and signed by its National Secretary, Francis Nwapa, YRC described the charges against Lenin and nine other activists as “false and outrageous,” accusing the President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government of using the judiciary to criminalise dissent.
The Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) has renewed its call for the immediate and unconditional release of #EndBadGovernance protesters, and dropping of charges against its members including its National Coordinator, Adaramoye Michael Lenin, as their trial on charges of treason and terrorism enters its second year.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, and signed by its National Secretary, Francis Nwapa, YRC described the charges against Lenin and nine other activists as “false and outrageous,” accusing the President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government of using the judiciary to criminalise dissent.
“After a year, the prosecutors have not provided any evidence to support their claims of treason, terrorism, etc. In fact, the case has suffered several adjournments,” Nwapa said.
“This delay tactic is to ensure the charges of treason and terrorism continue to be hanged around the necks of these activists.”
The #EndBadGovernance protest, which erupted between August 1 and 10, 2024, saw thousands of Nigerians troop to the streets in major cities to demonstrate against worsening economic hardship, police brutality, and government policies they described as “anti-poor.”
The protests drew inspiration from the 2020 #EndSARS movement but focused largely on demands for economic reforms, better governance, and accountability.
On September 2, 2024, the Tinubu government arraigned Lenin alongside Mosiu Sodiq, Angel Love Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Adeyemi Abayomi, Eleojo Opaluwa, Nurudeen Khamis, Bashir Bello, Suleiman Yakubu, and Abdulsalam Zubairu.
They were detained for weeks at a notorious Abuja police facility known as Abattoir, before being remanded to prison on charges including treason, terrorism, and mutiny.
Though eventually granted bail, most of the accused spent nearly a month in custody due to stringent bail conditions.
Another activist, Daniel Akande, was later added to the list of defendants during their re-arraignment on September 17, 2024.
The government’s response to the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations was marked by a heavy security crackdown on the protesters.
Human rights groups including Amnesty International documented widespread use of tear gas, water cannons, and live ammunition by police and military personnel to disperse protesters in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, and Port Harcourt.
Hundreds of demonstrators were arrested across the country, with many allegedly subjected to torture and inhumane treatment in detention facilities.
Independent monitors reported that at least 27 people were killed and dozens more injured during confrontations with security forces.
Civil society organisations also accused the authorities of targeting journalists and shutting down protest hubs to stifle coverage of the movement.
Despite the repression, protesters maintained their demand for an end to what they described as worsening poverty, arbitrary arrests, and anti-people policies of the government.
The group also condemned the conviction of seven #EndBadGovernance protesters in Borno State, who were sentenced to five years prison in August 2025.
YRC insisted, “No Nigerian should be sent to prison or punished for exercising their fundamental rights to protest,” warning that the judiciary “must not become the bride of despotic politicians or offer itself to be used to undermine basic human rights.”
According to YRC, the Bola Tinubu-led administration has failed to address the issues that triggered the nationwide protests, including the rising cost of living, unemployment, and recurring cases of police brutality.
Instead, the group accused the government of adopting “neo-liberal and anti-masses policies” that have worsened the plight of ordinary Nigerians.
“The Tinubu government has continued to act true to its draconian nature; the attacks on the fundamental rights of Nigerians are still ongoing.
None of the demands made by Nigerians during the #EndBadGovernance protest has been met,” the statement read.
The group called on civil society organisations, trade unions, and youth groups to support the protesters and mobilise for solidarity actions, including public statements, protest messages, and peaceful demonstrations ahead of the next adjourned trial date at the Federal High Court in Abuja on October 9.
YRC further urged labour leaders to “wake up to their responsibility” and unite with other groups to resist what it described as repression and “anti-poor policies” under the current administration.
