The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Amnesty International Nigeria have condemned the ongoing detention of minors involved in the August #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests.

In August 2024, Nigerian youths took to the streets to protest against the hardships, hunger, and poor governance that have marked the current administration. Many were arrested by Nigerian security forces, with 76 individuals arraigned in court today.

During the proceedings, one minor among the group collapsed in the Federal High Court in Abuja.

In response, SERAP took to its official X platform (formerly Twitter) to denounce the detention, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release the protesters and drop all charges of ?treasonable felony? against them.

SERAP stated, ?The Tinubu administration must unconditionally release the 76 #EndBadGovernance protesters and drop all charges of ?treasonable felony? against them, or face legal action. No one should ever be punished for the peaceful exercise of their human rights.?

The organization criticized the government?s actions as an attempt to instill fear, evade scrutiny, deny citizens their fundamental rights, and entrench a culture of impunity in Nigeria. ?Nigeria deserves better than this,? they added.

Amnesty International Reacts

Supporting SERAP, Amnesty International also denounced the arrest and detention of these minors. The organization urged the Nigerian federal government to release all detained individuals, emphasizing the importance of upholding constitutional and internationally guaranteed human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

?Amnesty International condemns President Bola Tinubu?s government for the continued detention of minors who participated in the August #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests. The attempts to subject these minors to a sham trial over alleged ?treason? demonstrate the government?s utter disregard for the rule of law. Authorities must release them immediately and unconditionally,? they stated.

Furthermore, Amnesty International highlighted the troubling situation of children in detention, noting that ?in Katsina, at least 12 children under 16 years old were detained merely for being on the streets during the #EndBadGovernance protests. These children, with their entire lives ahead of them, are now at risk of being tried on fabricated charges.?

The organization pointed out that another group of 43 protesters is facing similar treason charges in the same Federal High Court in Abuja, warning that the Nigerian authorities are escalating their efforts to deprive people of their right to peaceful protest through horrifying detentions and sham trials.

?The unlawful detention of these minors, subjecting them to traumatic experiences for exercising their right to peaceful protest, is unacceptable. The government must release all of them immediately and unconditionally.? (Vanguard)

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