By Zailani Mustapha A firestorm of criticism has erupted as Amnesty International, prominent political figures, and activists denounce the T...
By Zailani Mustapha
A firestorm of criticism has erupted as Amnesty International, prominent political figures, and activists denounce the Tinubu administration’s detention and court arraignment of minors following August’s #EndBadGovernance protests.
The protests, ignited by severe economic hardship, swept across Nigeria from August 1 to August 10, 2024, sparking a sweeping government crackdown.
Authorities arrested demonstrators in major cities nationwide, including Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Gombe. Among the detained were young teenagers, such as 14-year-old Yahaya and 16-year-old Muktar Ishak Alhassan, who reportedly collapsed in court due to exhaustion and apparent malnourishment.
Video footage of their frail condition quickly went viral, provoking a surge of public outcry.
Amnesty International has condemned the detentions as an “unlawful and appalling” suppression of Nigeria’s youth, blasting the administration’s “flagrant human rights violations.”
Their statement thundered, “The detention of minors for peacefully protesting against poverty and corruption is unconscionable. These children, unlawfully detained and subjected to degrading treatment, are now facing baseless treason charges for exercising their right to assembly. The government must release them all—immediately and unconditionally.”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar joined the chorus of criticism, expressing shock and anger after seeing footage of children lying weakly on the courtroom floor, some visibly malnourished.
He denounced the government’s treatment of the children as “reminiscent of a Nazi concentration camp” and a testament to the administration’s “utter disregard for the lives of vulnerable children.”
Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju, who witnessed the arraignment, described the scene as “devastating.” He shared on social media, “Watching these children, helpless and taken to Kuje Prison, broke me. I couldn’t hold back tears. We’ve been battling for 93 days to get them arraigned. What’s happening in Nigeria is beyond belief.”
Calls for action have flooded social media, with Nigerians demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the minors and denouncing the government’s actions as oppressive and unjust.
Senator Sani Musa, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, has called for an urgent investigation, urging Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun and the National Judicial Council (NJC) to scrutinize the circumstances of the arrests and the judge’s decision to detain minors.
“These children, despite enduring immense hardship, are treated with excessive harshness rather than compassion. This stance is both unacceptable and a betrayal of the principles of justice,” Senator Musa stated, pressing for accountability.
Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi also condemned the government’s treatment of the minors, sharing his dismay on social media.
He urged the Minister of Justice, the Attorney General, the DSS, and the National Human Rights Commission to investigate the incident.
Highlighting footage of visibly malnourished children, Obi stressed, “These children’s condition should alarm the conscience of every citizen. They have a constitutional right to protest policies affecting their lives.”
Praising the judge for halting the trial, Obi called on officials to prevent future occurrences of such "inhuman treatment."
With the nation’s anger boiling over, many are demanding that authorities release the minors and respect the rights of Nigerians to voice their grievances.
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