Atiku, Obi knock FG over ‘inhumane treatment’ of minors arraigned for #EndBadGovernance protests

Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) in 2023, have condemned the “inhumane treatment” of minors arraigned for allegedly participating in the #EndBadGovernance protest.

BACKGROUND

Between August 1 and 10, a protest against tagged #EndBadGovernance was held nationwide.

The protesters demanded a reduction in the cost of governance, the return of petrol subsidy regime, food security, and fiscal discipline, among others.

The protest turned violent in some parts of the country while hoodlums used the opportunity to loot and vandalise public and private properties.

After the protests, the police announced the arrest of alleged perpetrators of the violence and looting in some states.

On Friday, some of those arrested for taking part in the protest, most of whom are children, were brought before a federal high court in Abuja.

At the commencement of the proceedings, four of the alleged protesters were hurriedly rushed out of the courtroom after they collapsed.

The court later granted N10 million bail to 72 defendants and removed four sick children’s names from the charge, while the remaining defendants pleaded not guilty.

ATIKU: MINORS NOT SPARED BY ‘T-PAIN’S WICKEDNESS

Reacting to the incident on his X page on Friday, Abubakar berated the federal government for arraigning the minors.

The former vice-president noted that section 11 of the Child’s Rights Act guarantees the dignity of the child.

“A disturbing video of malnourished children being arraigned before a federal high court on the orders of the Bola Tinubu-led federal government has been brought to my notice,” Abubakar wrote.

“The horrible scene reminiscent of a Nazi concentration camp once again reflects the low premium the current government places on the lives of the vulnerable, especially children.”

Abubakar said the children prosecuted for their alleged role in the #EndBadGovernance protests have been subjected to dehumanising conditions for three months, adding that their delayed arraignment implies prolonged detention under unacceptable circumstances.

He said it is “reprehensible for a man who fought for democracy to demonise protesters,” adding that children have the right to peaceful protest 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,” he said.

“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.

In October, Abubakar described Tinubu as ‘T-pain’. T-pain is the stage name of Faheem Najm, a singer in the United States.

‘T-pain’ in Nigeria’s social media space is coined from ‘Tinubu’ and ‘pain’ — and has been deployed as the president’s moniker due to the pervasive economic hardship.

OBI CALLS FOR PROBE

On his part, Obi asked for a thorough investigation into the treatment of the minors.

“I just watched the disturbing and condemnable scenes captured in a circulating video, showing 124 protesters—among them minors—appearing in court today as part of efforts to secure the enforcement of their fundamental rights,” Obi wrote on his X page on Friday.

“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—a condition that should alarm the conscience of every citizen in our nation.”

Obi said the suspects, including minors, were poorly handled while in federal custody, adding that protesting “bad governance is their constitutional right in a democratic dispensation”.

The former governor of Anambra noted that many of those serving in the current administration fought for good governance while in opposition.

Obi commended the presiding judge’s decision to halt the trial, which he noted prevented Nigeria from further embarrassment 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 added.