A wave of protests swept across most major cities in Nigeria in August. These protests with the hashtag #EndBadGovernance demonstrated mass anger of the impoverished people against the policies of government that is making life increasingly difficult for the vast majority of Nigerians. Many of the protesters hoped that their voices would be heard, and government would turn down the heat of neoliberal policies. People had turned out in large numbers on the streets with placards and loud voices demanding better living conditions from the Nigerian government. It was marked as a 10-day demonstration beginning on 1 August.
However, these demonstrations were met with repression by the government. There was a heavy crackdown on protesters nationwide with the State’s armed wing of violence i.e., the police pouring bullets and teargas canisters on peaceful protesters.
Many protesters were unlawfully detained and arrested by the police. In the Northern parts of the country in particular, there were a lot of arrests and unlawful abductions of peaceful protesters by law enforcement agents.
These peaceful protesters were detained in police custody and were being investigated on the otherwise hilarious accusations of public disturbance and treason. In different cities across Northern Nigeria, many of the people who were arrested were sent to Abuja to stand trial at the Federal High Court located in Abuja.
Of the dozens of innocent protesters detained, a large portion of them were minors below the age of 18. They had been kept in custody for over 3 months without proper feeding, health care or clothing.
Yet again, we see the Nigerian government ‘s complete ineptitude on full display. Arresting people for speaking out on the sufferings have inflicted on them with anti-poor people policies and economic programmes. It is just like beating a child and gagging her not to cry. In the face of this economic turmoil, we the children of this nation had no other choice but to cry out in protest when we felt overwhelmed. But it seems that crying out has become an offence tantamount to treason under the Tinubu regime.
With the detention of minors for up to 3 months by the Nigerian police, we have seen a disgusting violation of all rights guaranteed to children by virtue of the provisions of the Child’s Rights Act(CRA), 2003. This law has special provisions that protect the interest of children and guarantee them cover from the brutality of the criminal justice system in Nigeria.
But with the armed wing of the Nigerian state’s violence, the ruling class, has shown that it has not the slightest respect for these rights prescribed for the protection of children.
In an attempt to revolutionise the way child justice administration is carried out, the Child Rights Act in Part XX (sections 204 -238) has provided for Child Justice Administration, which is to effectively replace the Juvenile Justice Administration under the Children and Young Persons ACT(YCPA). The provisions in this part now prohibit children from being subjected to the criminal justice process and guarantees due process to any child subjected to the Child Justice system under the Act at all stages of investigation, adjudication, and disposition of the child. This Act strives to apply the principles contained in the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (otherwise known as the Beijing Rules) in Child Justice Administration in Nigeria. The Act specifically stated thus:
“No child shall be subjected to the criminal justice process or to criminal sanctions, but a child alleged to have committed an act which would constitute a criminal offence if he were an adult shall be subjected only to the child justice system and processes set out in this Act”.
With such beautiful laws tailored for the protection of children, it is indeed heart-breaking to see the Nigerian state move in a direction completely devoid of respect for the letters and spirit of extant laws for the protection of children.
What this shows is an alarming level of paranoia by the Nigerian state, such that even infants can be seen by them as potential “coup plotters” seeking to overthrow them. What is that saying about the guilty running when no one is chasing?
The Police must withdraw all charges brought against these kids and quit this clown show immediately. They must also compensate them for the immense emotional, physical and psychological damage that their prolonged captivity in the State’s dungeon has brought to them.
Nigerians must not look back and fold their arms. This shows to all of us how low the political elite can go in their craze to secure absolute political control over the state. If literal babies can be targets, then no one is safe to speak without having the fear of a sniper’s target on their head.
We must all rise and speak out against this blatant attack on free speech and the rights of the children. This is a duty to defend today and the future they represent.
by Oghenero ABU
