Nigerians, on Friday, November 1, 2024, lashed out at the Federal Government over the arraignment of minors for allegedly participating in the #EndBadGovernance protest in the country.

It would be recalled that the #EndBadGovernance protest was held across Nigeria between August 1 and 10, 2024, against hardship in the country.

The nationwide protest, however, turned violent in some parts of the country while hoodlums used the opportunity to loot and vandalise public and private properties.

After the protests, the police announced the arrest of some persons for allegedly perpetrating violence and looting in some states.

However, some of those arrested for participating in the protest, most of whom are children, were arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday, November 1.

They were arrested in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Gombe States.

Four out of the 76 defendants in the first charge collapsed in the courtroom when the trial commenced.

The four of them were Usman Fatihu (21 years), Muhammed Yahaya (14 years), Muktar Ishak Alhassan (16 years), and Mustapha Ibrahim (18 years).

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The court later granted the arrested protesters N10 million bail each with two sureties each in like sum.

The arraignment elicited reactions from Nigerians who described the prosecution of the minors as “inhumane treatment” by the federal government.

Reacting, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar lashed out at the federal government for arraigning the minors.

Atiku, in a statement shared on his X account on Friday, stated that Section 11 of the Child’s Rights Act guarantees dignity of the child.

He wrote: “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.

“The horrible scene reminiscent of a Nazi concentration camp once again reflects the low premium the current government places on the lives of the vulnerable, especially children.

“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.

“I find it reprehensible that a man who claims to have fought for Nigeria’s democracy and had led protests now demonises those who decide to demonstrate against the effects of his harsh and draconian policies.

“Children who are the most affected by these policies 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 disturbing condition under which the alleged accused children were brought to court projects the very justification for their participation in the protest in the first place.”

Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi also condemned the prosecution of the minors by the federal government.

Obi, in a statement shared on X, said: “These children appeared visibly malnourished and starved—a condition that should alarm the conscience of every citizen in our nation.

“From their look, they were poorly handled despite being in the custody of the federal government of Nigeria.

“The offense being alleged against these suspects, including minors, is protesting against bad governance that was directly affecting their livelihood and which our constitution under a democratic dispensation guarantees them. Curiously, most of the people in government today leveraged this aspect of the Constitution standing as champions of good governance while in opposition.

“Moreover, our status presumes that suspects deserve some dignity, even in a correctional home as human beings.

“The reason why we should all be concerned about a situation like this is because we are part of a global community where human dignity should be respected.

“May I appreciate the presiding lordship for halting the trial and saving the country further embarrassment it would have been to the World as a democratic nation?

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“I would like to call on relevant authorities, especially the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation, the Police, and the DSS, as well as the National Human Rights Commission, to thoroughly investigate such inhuman treatment of minors to avert such incidents in the future.”

African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Omoyele Sowore, wrote on X: “These are underage kids; the inhuman, barbaric, and unjust regime of President Bola Tinubu brought to the Federal High Court, Abuja, today to be tried for treason allegedly for participating in the August  2024 #EndbadgovernanceInNigeria protest.”

Another X user, Towolawi Jamiu, stated: “Just take a look at the hungry children being arraign at the Federal High Court Abuja this morning by the President Bola Tinubu regime. These are the children the shameless Tinubu regime claims want to overthrow his government!

“This is absolutely terrible and we must not let this slide!”

Lucy James wrote: “This is human right violation, we are calling on the federal government, President Bola Tinubu, to immediately release and provide urgent medical attention to the minors arrested for participating in the #endbadgovernance protest.”

The Star