EndBadGovernance: Northern youths ask Tinubu to drop charges against minors

The Northern Youth Council has asked President Bola Tinubu to order the withdrawal of all charges against minors prosecuted for their alleged participation in the recent #EndBadGovernance protests.

In a statement to journalists in Kano on Saturday, the group also called on the President to order “the unconditional release of these children, in the interest of justice, to avoid further embarrassment to the government and the Nigerian criminal justice system.” “Rule of law and principles of democracy”.

Some of the minors detained by the Police since August collapsed in the courtroom of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday.

The incident occurred while the minors were being brought to court from various police holding cells, including the Intelligence Response Team.

Portions of the statement, signed by President Dr Ali Idris Mohammed and Secretary General Dr Garba Abdulhafiz, said: “On behalf of the National Leadership of the Northern Youth Assembly (Majalisar Matasan Arewa), Nineteen Northern States Chapter, We hereby declare that some minor children are hungry, depressed, dog-tired and inadequate.” To openly express our dismay at the content of a viral video that appears to have fed people to appear before the high court in Abuja on charges of hoisting some foreign flags during the protest to end misrule. It took place across the country between August 1-10, 2024.

“It is our firm belief that the incident in court is nothing but additional damage to the little remaining integrity of the Nigerian Judiciary and the Nigerian criminal administration system as a whole.

“So this created something that can best be described as devastating, heartbreaking, pathetic and horrifying.”

According to Parliament, Nigerian criminal law provides that all criminal cases must be presented to the court within 48 hours at the latest, and anything contrary to this could amount to a violation of the fundamental rights of any suspect “except in certain cases”. especially under the strict instructions of a competent court”.

The statement claimed that “the continued detention of helpless and poor children by the Federal Government authorities is not only a blatant disregard for the legal provisions of the country, but also a deliberate plan to destroy the future of these young people.” “They even risk their lives.”

He also argued that it had become a global practice for citizens of a particular country to raise foreign flags during a protest and signified nothing more than citizens’ practical dissatisfaction with the government of the day.

“Our understanding is that this Government has assumed the status of an undemocratic regime, disregarding the written or existing laws of the country, and systematically turning the Government into an authoritarian rule characterized by nepotism, nepotism and ill-feeling towards certain sections of the country.

“We may recall that a few weeks ago, the advocate of the Yoruba Nation, Mr. Sunday Igboho, organized and led a protest in London, declaring their clear decision to secede from Nigeria and their determination to establish a Yoruba Nation.

“Mr Sunday Igboho also submitted a petition to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom seeking support to carry out the agitation for Yoruba Nation and so far no one has been arrested.

“APC government has begun the trial of minors arrested in August for participating in a protest against APC misrule. Unfortunately, some of these young protesters appeared in court visibly malnourished, and many collapsed from severe hunger and disease after prolonged detention by Nigerian authorities for more than 90 days.

“The sight of these starving youth detained simply for speaking out or participating in national protests is an affront to the criminal justice system, humanity and democracy.

“The detention of children, minors and young Nigerians since August for allegedly trying to destabilize the government is both unacceptable and deeply disturbing.

“These allegations are not only baseless, but also reveal a disturbing disregard for the rights and well-being of these young people as Nigerians.”