2nd November 2024
A cross section of Nigerians have expressed outrage over the police arraignment of 76 suspects, including 32 minors, at a Federal High Court, Abuja.
The suspects alongside the minors were brought before Justice Obiora Egwuatu, for participating in the #EndBadGovernance protests in August.
Nigerians condemned the undue detention and arraignment of the defendants, describing them as a violation of human rights and an indication of the government’s approach to civil dissent
Civil society groups and rights activists have also slammed the police and the government over the matter, having kept the defendants, in detention for three months.
The defendants were arrested in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja; as well as Kaduna, Gombe, Jos, Katsina, and Kano states.
They were arraigned by the Inspector General of Police on 10 counts bordering on treason, intent to destabilise Nigeria and inciting to mutiny by calling on the military to take over the government from President Bola Tinubu, among others.
The nationwide protest against economic hardship and poor governance happened from August 1 to 10, with demonstrators calling for reduced governance costs, the reinstatement of petrol subsidy, food security, and greater fiscal discipline.
The protest turned violent in some states, leading to incidents of looting and vandalism.
Among the 76 defendants arraigned on Friday, 32 of them were minors between the ages of 14 and 17.
The minors, who looked unkempt and malnourished, were seen scrambling for water and biscuits in video clips that went viral on social media on Friday.
As proceedings commenced, the visibly unwell children were called to the dock to enter their pleas.
But in a sudden turn of events, four of the children suddenly collapsed and were rushed out of the courtroom, forcing the presiding judge to suspend the session until order was restored.
The minors wriggled in pain and made a screeching sound on the floor as both lawyers and prison officials hurriedly carried them up, holding their hands and legs. They were then taken out of the courtroom, as they couldn’t stand on their feet.
Watching with a bewildered look of pity and irritation, Justice Egwuatu abruptly rose and went into his chambers.
Upon his return, the prosecution counsel, Audu Garba, told the court that the matter was for arraignment.
He said, “My Lord the matter is fixed for arraignment. Some of the defendants are outside due to lack of space in the courtroom to accommodate all of them.”
The judge, however, insisted that space should be created for all of them, as he wanted all defendants inside the courtroom.
READ MORE; FHC Judge Halts Proceedings As Minor Faints In Court
The prosecution proceeded to ask the court to strike out the names of the sick defendants and discharge them pending when they get well to be brought back to the court to answer to their charges.
The defense counsel, Marshall Abubakar, however, asked the court to discharge and acquit them.
He said, “The application is on the fact that the defendants are sick and malnourished. These boys are hungry and have not been fed for three days.”
The prosecution, however, objected to the defence counsel’s submission, insisting that the defendants, who had been detained since August when they were arrested, were well catered for in the police cell where they had been kept.
He, however, asked the court to grant the defendants bail.
The court, on the submission of the prosecution, discharged the four sick defendants – Umar Yunusa, Usman Suraju, Musa Isiyaku and Abdul Ganiu – pending when they get well.
The court, however, refused to acquit them.
Justice Egwuatu said, “The defendants are granted bail in the sum of N10m each with two sureties in like sum.
Justice Egwuatu declared that until they meet their bail terms, defendants who are 18 years and above should be remanded in the Kuje Custodial Centre while the minors (18 years and below) be remanded in the Borstal Centre in Gwagwalada
Reacting ,President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Afam Osigwe, said subjecting minors to such treatment not only violates domestic and international legal protections, but also paints Nigeria in a negative light on the global stage.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said the detention and prosecution of the minors had exposed the inhuman nature of the Tinubu administration.
Atiku, in a statement issued by his media team in Abuja, lamented that the pitiable sight of the children in the courtroom was reminiscent of the infamous Nazi concentration camp.
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, also expressed dismay over the treatment of the minors.
“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.
Also reacting, the President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Debo Adeniran, said it was unexplainable that a supposed progressive government could maltreat children in the way it had done.
Adeniran stated that it was cruel to arrest and detain the minors for days without trial, adding that the ill-treatment meted out to the children was condemnable.
He said, “The #EndBadGovernance, #FearlessOctober and other protests will be a child’s play if the government continues to stoke embers of violence inside the citizenry. A lot of people are angry with the government, and what the government should do is to persuade them to come up with schemes that will douse the tension.”
For Amnesty International, the continuous detention of the minors who were arrested in August for allegedly participating in the #EndBadGovernance protest in August was condemnable.
