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A public post by the U.S. Mission Nigeria celebrating the role of activist Funke Adeoye in the release of 29 detained minors has sparked controversy, with key legal actors and civil society members disputing the accuracy of the recognition.
On Thursday, the U.S. Mission Nigeria, in a post on its official Facebook page, praised Ms Adeoye, the founder of Hope Behind Bars Africa, for her “tireless advocacy that led to the release of 29 minors detained during recent protests.”
“Kudos to Funke Adeoye… Her dedication to protecting the rights of detained children has made a significant impact,” the embassy wrote, using the hashtag #VoicesForNigeria.
Funke Adeoye, founder of Hope Behind Bars Africa
However, the post drew swift criticism from some Nigerians, particularly lawyer Hamza Dantani, who claimed to have led the legal team that secured the minors’ release.
Mr Dantani, a principal lawyer in the case, responded directly to the embassy’s Facebook post, calling the recognition of Ms Adeoye misleading.
“This is not true. This is a lie and unacceptable. She never in any way participated. I led the team that got them released. I will never allow this to go unchallenged,” he wrote.
In another comment directed at a Facebook user celebrating the recognition, Mr Dantani added:
“They just came and met me as an NGO to help feed the minors. But she went ahead and claimed credit for what they never worked for.”
But in a WhatsApp interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Ms Adeoye denied taking credit for filing or litigating the case but insisted her organisation was involved from the beginning in high-level advocacy efforts.
“I never claimed to have filed the suit. My lawyers were in court every day, observing proceedings. The courts recorded their names. We worked alongside lawyers like Deji Adeyanju and Abubakar Marshall throughout the process,” she said.
Ms Adeoye added that her organisation and other civil society groups were instrumental in behind-the-scenes engagements with the diplomatic and executive community.
“The children were released through a nolle prosequi. That did not happen just by appearing in court. A lot of high-level conversations happened that I cannot mention. Anyone saying we only provided food clearly doesn’t know the full scope of what went on,” she added.
She also shared social media posts and advocacy materials dated before the release of the minors. One post dated 29 July 2024 reaffirmed the right to peaceful protest and detailed her organisation’s involvement in observing proceedings for arrested protesters.
Hope Behind Bars Africa also documented legal representation during arraignments, naming its in-house lawyers—Dorcas Anaja, Esther Chiemeka, and Peace Adewuyi—as part of the court observation team.
On 5 November 2024, after the release of the minors, Ms Adeoye had posted:
“Thank you @adeyanjudeji, Barr. Marshall, and every lawyer, CSOs including my people at @hopebehindbar who have tirelessly worked on this case since August 2nd… The fight continues, but today we rejoice!”
Court documents
Amid the controversy, Mr Dantani provided letters confirming his legal representation. In a letter dated 2 November 2024, he wrote:
“We were served with a letter from the Attorney General’s office seeking to abridge the trial date. We support the application.”
A corresponding letter dated 2 November 2024 from the Director of Public Prosecutions, M.B. Abubakar, addressed to the Federal High Court, requested an earlier hearing date “in the interest of justice,” citing plans for the AGF to take over the prosecution.
Mr Dantani also applied for certified true copies of court documents and said he personally accompanied the released children from Abuja to Kano to reunite them with their families.
Adeyanju calls for unity, downplays dispute
Human rights lawyer and activist Mr Adeyanju, who worked on the case, downplayed the controversy.
“We were the ones feeding the children when they were detained at Abattoir. From the day they were arrested, we engaged with the NSA, the Inspector-General of Police, and others. We did a lot,” he said in a phone interview with PREMIUM TIMES.
“But this is not about credit. I celebrated Funke when she got the recognition. She’s our partner and has done great work. Hamza may feel sidelined, but everyone contributed. Many people funded legal bail. Clement from PLAC also helped financially. It’s not about who gets recognition—it’s about the work.”
US Embassy declines to comment
When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the US Mission Nigeria via email to enquire about the criteria used in recognising Ms Adeoye, the mission declined to provide specifics.
“Hi Emmanuel, thank you for your inquiry. We advise that you reach out to Hope Behind Bars for response to your questions,” the US Mission wrote in an email response.
Background
PREMIUM TIMES had reported that the Federal High Court in Abuja, on 5 November 2024, struck out treason charges against dozens of minors arrested during the August #EndBadGovernance protests.
Mr Abubakar, who represented the Attorney-General of the Federation, applied to take over the prosecution from the police and subsequently withdrew the charges.
The judge, Obiora Egwuatu, granted the application and struck out the case.
Over 119 protesters, including the minors, were released in batches. The court’s decision followed national and international outcry after several underage detainees collapsed in court during their 1 November arraignment.
Rights activists condemned the minors’ detention and arraignment in adult courts, saying it violated the Child Rights Act.
Critics also blasted the IGP and called for reforms in the treatment of juvenile defendants.
The #EndBadGovernance protests had erupted in response to harsh economic policies introduced by President Bola Tinubu, including fuel subsidy removal and naira devaluation. In states like Kano, the protests turned violent, leading to mass arrests of over 1,000 individuals.
