Human Rights Group, Amnesty International, has asked the Federal Government to release the minors who were arrested over the #EndBadGovernance protest in August.
The protesters trooped out to the streets across Nigeria between August 1 and August 10, 2024, over the nationwide hardship.
However, some of the protesters were seen waving Russian flag, an action the Federal Government condemned, ordering arrests.
Subsequently, the protesters were arrested in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Gombe, among others.
Some of those arrested were arraigned at a Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday.
At least, four of them, including two minors – Yahaya (14 years), Muktar Ishak Alhassan (16 years) – slumped in the court.
However, when the matter was called, Audu Garba counsel of the Inspector-General of Police, informed the court that the matter was slated for arraignment of the 76 defendants, who had been in detention.
Shortly after they were called into the dock to take their plea, four of them slumped in the open court.
Videos and pictures of the incident have triggered anger among Nigerians, particularly on social media.
Weighing in on the situation, Amnesty International described their arrest and detention as illegal.
“Amnesty International condemns President Bola Tinubu’s government for the continues detention of minors for participating in the August #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests. The attempts to put the minors through a sham trial over alleged ‘treason’ shows the government’s utter disregard for the rule of law. The authorities must release them immediately and unconditionally.”
“Putting minors through these horrifying detentions for participating in protests against hunger and corruption is — so far — one of the deadliest attempts to suppress freedom of assembly. President Bola Tinubu must unconditionally release minors detailed since August:
“In Katsina, at least 12 children under 16-years-old were detained. The children ended up in detention for just being on the streets during the #EndBadGovernance protests. Children with their whole lives ahead of them are now at the risk of being tried on trumped up charges.
“Right now charges of treasonable felony are being read to another group of 43 protesters in the same Federal High Court #Abuja. The Nigerian authorities are only escalating attempts to deprive people the right to peaceful protests, through horrifying detentions and sham trials.
“The government of President Bola Tinubu must uphold the constitutionally and internationally guaranteed human rights of everyone in the country — including the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. All protesters currently on trial or detained must be released.
“The Nigerian authorities detained these minors unlawfully — putting them through horrifying experiences — for exercising their right to peaceful protest. Government must release them all — immediately and unconditionally.”
