Nigerians have continued to react to the treason trial of 10 hunger protesters by President Bola Tinubu’s government, labelling the president a tyrant worse than former military ruler Sani Abacha.

On Monday, Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye, Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaluwa Eleojo Simon, Angel Love Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello, Nuradeen Khamis and Abdulsalam Zubairu, all appeared before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court for treason trial that could see them executed if convicted.

The federal government, through the Inspector-General of Police, arraigned the defendants in a charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024 filed on August 30.

The protesters were charged with treason, intent to destabilise Nigeria, conspiracy to commit a felony and inciting mutiny, among others, which are punishable under section 97 of the Penal Code, after a nationwide protest against economic hardship and bad governance in Nigeria.

The first count in the charge sheet seen by Peoples Gazette accused the 10 protesters of “acting in concert and with intent to destabilised Nigeria conspired together to commit Felony to wit: Treason and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 96 and punishable under section 97 of the Penal Code.”

Reacting to the treason trial of the protesters, Nigerians knocked Mr Tinubu, calling him a tyrant and fascist.

An X user, @roqzee, said, “The last time I heard about treason was General Oladipo Diya under Abacha, and he was sentenced to death upon conviction. ‘mass trial’ and ‘treason’ in a democracy? And we thought the military was the problem.”

“Bola Ahmed Tinubu is upgraded Abacha, Buhari, IBB, Hitler and Excoba,” another user, @Adekpefinexx, tweeted.

Omoyele Sowore, an activist and Sahara Reporters Publisher, in a tweet, said, “The Tinubu fascist regime is starting a sham trial of #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria activists for treason, and these are the ridiculous charges. This is why we must solidify our plans and massively hit the streets for #FearlessINOctober. @officialABAT govt hasn’t learnt its lessons.”

Festus Ogun, a lawyer, tweeted, “Festus Ogun, a lawyer, in a tweet on said, “Arresting peaceful protesters for the heinous crime of treason is a full-blown dictatorship.”

Another X user, @OurFavOnlineDoc, said,” If the Nigerian govt can charge protesters to court for treason and get them killed through a state-sponsored kangaroo court judgment, this is no longer a democracy. It is a full-blown murderous, vicious, brutal, bloodthirsty regime that will ultimately destroy the whole country.”

“You are rehabilitating Boko Haram terrorists. You are watching politicians loot and walk away freely. Every day, terrorists on TikTok send us videos of their successful operations. But you arrested peace protesters and charged them for treason? The Nigerian government is a criminal organisation,” @FS_Yusuf tweeted.

Earlier, Amnesty International condemned the Tinubu-led government for pushing to silence critical voices with a treason charge, punishable by death.

“Some of the charges to be filed against the protesters, ranging from treason, which carries the death penalty and allegations of ‘plans to destabilise Nigeria,’ show how far the Nigerian authorities can go in manipulating the criminal justice system to silence critical voices,” the human rights organisation said in a statement on Monday.