…Kids collapse in court
…CISLAC, others condemn detention of minors, demand immediate release
Public outrage yesterday greeted the video showing the piteous condition of underage children detained by the police since August over allegations of attempts to overthrow a legitimate government.
The children were among 124 suspects raided by the police for allegedly canvassing regime change and military takeover from President Bola Tinubu during the #EndBadGovernance protest that held in parts of the country.
VOM News reports that the minors have been held since August by the Nigeria Police after participating in protests against worsening insecurity and deprivation in the country.
They were alleged to have raised Russian flags calling for assistance from Vladimir Putin to overthrow the current federal government.
Condemnation trailed the arrest and detention of minors but the police in its rebuttal had claimed that all those arrested were adults.
Images and videos from the courtroom, circulating widely on social media, depict the harrowing scenes of some minors lying on the floor as lawyers and others tried to revive them.
The incident occurred when the minors were brought to court from various police detention cells, where reports claim they were denied adequate food and medical care.
Sources alleged that the prolonged detention and harsh conditions were intended to punish the minors, who have been accused of fighting the government despite the absence of credible evidence.
However, court documents that were also made available yesterday showed that those the public considered underage were indeed minors who were not supposed to be kept in correctional facilities meant for adults.
At the resumed trial of their alleged treasonable felony on Friday, some of the children who looked terribly malnourished collapsed inside the court room. Some of them were seen holding their stomachs while others lumped inside the dock, also looked hungry.
Lawyers and litigants present in the courtroom were heard screaming that the kids be taken to the hospital for treatment.
The video which went viral on social media generated widespread condemnation from individuals and civil society organisations.
Top among the rights groups that reacted was the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) which demanded the immediate release of the children.
A statement by the Executive Director (ED), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani on Friday night strongly condemned the children’s detention and reported maltreatment.
CISLAC expressed deep concern following reports that several detained children, some under the age of 15, collapsed due to malnutrition inside a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The group called on First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu to intervene, urging her to see these young detainees as “her own children.”
CISLAC appealed to President Bola Tinubu to halt these actions by government officials, including the Minister of Justice, and to immediately order the release of the minors.
“It is disturbing and damaging to Nigeria’s global image to witness such treatment of young citizens who were only exercising their constitutional rights.
“The inhumane detention and maltreatment of these children must end. Anyone responsible for detaining these minors unjustly is the true criminal here, and this incident warrants urgent intervention,” said CISLAC.
It called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to take immediate action, advocating for the rights of the detained minors.
The organization further urged international bodies like UNICEF, the World Food Organization, the World Health Organization, and Save the Children Foundation to join in condemning the incident and pressuring the Nigerian government for an unconditional release.
“Detaining these children under such appalling conditions is unconscionable,” Rafsanjani emphasized.
“We are appealing to all responsible authorities to ensure their swift release and hold accountable, those who orchestrated their detention. This incident stands as a dark stain on our national commitment to the rule of law and respect for human rights,” said Rafsanjani.
Also reacting to the video, Labour Party’s Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, said it was disturbing and condemnable.
“The footage reveals minors, some so weak that they could barely stand, others fainting from sheer exhaustion and lack of nourishment. These children appeared visibly malnourished and starved – 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?
“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,” he said.
Similarly, the Presidential candidate for the People’s Democrats Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubarkar, who also codemned the video, described it as a horrible scene reminiscent of a Nazi concentration camp, adding that it “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.”