November 04, (THEWILL) – Condemnation has continued to trail the Nigeria Police arraignment of minors among 76 #EndBadGovernance protesters by the before a Federal High Court in Abuja at the weekend.
The minors, who numbered 28 alongside 44 other protesters, were arrested from several locations: Kaduna, Kano, Gombe, Plateau, Katsina States and the FCT during the August 1 to 10, 2024 nationwide youth protest against bad governance in the country
Four minors among the defendants collapsed while in court on Friday, as the charge was about to be read, forcing Justice Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, to abruptly halt proceedings.
Following widespread condemnation of the illegal detention of the minors and their fate at the courtroom on Friday, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi , SAN, directed a transfer of the case file from the police.
In a statement titled: “EndBadGovernance Protest: AGF Intervenes, Seeks Casefile From Police”, personally signed by himself, the AGF, said “It has just come to my notice that the police have arraigned those arrested in connection with the endbadgovernance violent protest in court for various offences including treason.
“There are some issues my office will need to look into regarding the matter to enable me to make an informed decision. I am aware that the court has remanded the defendants in detention centres and adjourned the case to January. It is not within my power to vary the order of the court remanding the defendants in detention centres and adjourning the case to January. I have, however, directed the Nigeria Police to transfer the casefile to my office and hand over the same to the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) tomorrow, Saturday, 2nd November, 2024.
“I have further directed the DPPF to immediately put machinery in motion for consideration of the court to bring the adjournment date forward (an earlier date).
Earlier, one of the lawyers representing the defendants, Deji Adeyanju, disclosed that the minors, ages between 12 and 15, had spent over 80 days in police custody. They were allegedly arrested on August 3 and 4, 2024, and have since been in detention.
Adeyanju said the minors are among many others who were arrested in Abuja and Kano state on August 3 and 4, 2024, during the #EndBadGovernance protest.
They were arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on treasonable felony, Rioting, destruction of public property, assaulting security officials, and looting/theft of public property, among others.
In a charge sheet signed by its team of lawyers, led by DCP Simon Lough, SAN, the Police alleged that the defendants, alongside others that are currently at large, had between July 31 and August 4, at Abuja and Kano metropolis, while acting in concert and with intent to destabilise Nigeria, conspired together to commit a felony.
It alleged that the defendants committed treason, an offence contrary to Section 96 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 97 of the Code.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges read to them as four minors were excluded from taking their plea due to ill health. They are to be arraigned at a later date.
Admitting them on bail on Friday, Justice Obiora Egwuatu remanded the adults at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, while the minors are to be remanded at the Bostal Children’s Home, pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
Justice Obiora granted them bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties, each in like sum. For the adults, the Judge said the surety should be a civil servant and must provide a valid Identity Card, residential address, and passport-sized photographs, among others. The minors could either provide a parent or sibling as surety, with similar particulars.
Meanwhile, stakeholders, Civil Society Organisations and prominent Nigerians have continued to condemn the detention for over sixty days of all the protesters, particularly the minors who were kept in the custody of the Nigerian Police Investigation team in Abuja.
According to the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Amnesty International, Nigeria, the arrest and detention of minors involved in the #EndBadGovernance in Nigeria is condemnable.
In a post on its official X platform, SERAP called on President Bola Tinubu to release the protesters and drop all charges of ‘treasonable felony’ against them.
“The Tinubu administration must unconditionally release the 76 #EndBadGovernance protesters and drop all charges of ‘treasonable felony’ against them or face legal action. No one should ever be punished for the peaceful exercise of their human rights”, it said while accusing the government of an attempt to instill fear, evade scrutiny, deny citizens their fundamental rights, and entrench a culture of impunity in Nigeria.
On its part, Amnesty International denounced the arrest and detention of minors and asked the Nigerian federal government to release all detained individuals.
“Amnesty International condemns President Bola Tinubu’s government for the continued detention of minors who participated in the August #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests. The attempts to subject these minors to a sham trial over alleged ‘treason’ demonstrate the government’s utter disregard for the rule of law. Authorities must release them immediately and unconditionally”, the organisation stated.
Highlighting the troubling situation of children in detention, AI noted that “in Katsina, at least 12 children under 16 years old were detained merely for being on the streets during the #EndBadGovernance protests. These children, with their entire lives ahead of them, are now at risk of being tried on fabricated charges.”
The organisation pointed out that another group of 43 protesters is facing similar treason charges in the same Federal High Court in Abuja, warning that the Nigerian authorities are escalating their efforts to deprive people of their right to peaceful protest through horrifying detentions and sham trials.
“The unlawful detention of these minors, subjecting them to traumatic experiences for exercising their right to peaceful protest, is unacceptable. The government must release all of them immediately and unconditionally”, it said.
Former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar described the detention and prosecution of children as inhuman. e as A disturbing video of malnourished children being arraigned before a Federal High Court on the orders of the Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government has been brought to my notice.
He said the video of the malnourished children collapsing in court he saw reminded him of the “ horrible scene reminiscent of a Nazi concentration camp, reflecting the low premium the current government places on the lives of the vulnerable, especially children.”
He said, “For emphasis, Section 11 of the Child’s Rights Act guarantees dignity of the child.
“It states that, “Every child is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person, and accordingly, no child shall be ‐ (a) subjected to physical, mental or emotional injury, abuse, neglect or maltreatment, including sexual abuse; (b) subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
“The children are being prosecuted for their alleged role in the #EndBadGovernance protests, which took place between August 1 and August 10, 2024. If they are just being arraigned three months later, one can only imagine the sort of dehumanizing conditions they had been subjected to and have been detained all this while.
“Children who are the most affected by these polices have every right to protest peacefully as guaranteed by the Constitution and the Child Rights Act. A nation can be assessed by the way it treats its most vulnerable citizens. It is saddening that even underage children are not spared from the wickedness of T Pain.”
The Northern Youths Assembly at the weekend called on President Tinubu to order the withdrawal of all charges against the minors being tried for alleged participation in the recent EndBadGovernance protests in the country.
President and Secretary of the group, Dr Ali Idris Mohammed, and its Secretary General, Dr Garba Abdulhafiz, respectively, urged the president to order “the release of those boys unconditionally, to avoid further embarrassment to the Government and the Nigerian criminal justice system, in the interest of fairness, upholding the rule of law and principles of democracy.”
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
