The images and videos of distraught, malnourished and tattered-looking, 32 children led into correctional vans from prison to court, and from court back to prison for trial for participating in the #EndBadGovernance protest, to say the least, break the heart. The children who are standing trial for treason against the Nigerian state for sundry reasons, are among the 76 suspects.
For instance, the third count charge read that, “That between July 31, 2024 and August 10, 2024, in Abuja FCT, Kaduna, Kano and Gombe, within the jurisdiction of this court, while acting in concert with Andrew Martin Wynne (aka Andrew Povich) a British citizen, with intent to destabilise Nigeria, levies war against the state in order to intimidate or overawe the president, by attacking and injuring police officers and burning police stations, High Court Complex, NCC Complex, Kano Printing Press, Government House Kano, Kaduna Investment and Promotions Agency office, NURTW office and several other buildings and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 410 of the Penal Code (Northern States) Federal Provisions Act CAP P3 LFN 2004”.
Many Nigerians are outraged over the trial of the minors and have condemned same. Schools are already neck-deep in academic programmes, that is, First Term of 2024-2025 academic session. At the time when children are supposed to be in school to learn and get equipped for their future in life, they are facing trial for demonstrating against bad governance in the country that affect them, their parents, educational pursuit and daily survival.
Members of the bar, opinion leaders and members of the civil society have been divided over the charges brought against the under age children. There are arguments that in the Child Right Act, it is illegal to try under age children for any offence in the Federal High Court instead of child justice system in the Act. There is another view that contends that the federal government must clearly differentiate between treason and civil disobedience, and that children should be kept in children facilities rather than taking them to Kuje Prison. Also, the health condition of the children is very disturbing indeed.
For us as a newspaper house, there are two sides to this unfortunate situation. While we agree emphatically that the federal government must respect the constitutional rights of children such as rights to peaceful protest and assembly, it is important to ask: was the last #EndBadGovernance protest peaceful? To a large extent, it was not.
Minors were seen not only brandishing Russian flags; they were calling on the military to topple the present government as a solution to the soaring cost of living, increasing poverty and hunger brought about by the harsh economic reforms of the Tinubu administration. We saw minors seizing an armoured vehicle of after chasing the police personnel deployed to maintain peace during the protest. There was no doubting the fact that those children were sponsored. Of course, the nervous government had to react.
On the other hand, we saw security agencies firing teargas at peaceful protesters, allegedly firing life bullets into the air, harassing, intimidating and arresting people and disrupting peaceful protest, especially in Abuja.
Be that as it may, we maintain that the government needs to be more circumspect about the situation. No matter the offence of the minors, who were obviously misguided, the ongoing trial of the minors is a bad public image and relations. Were therefore urge the government to grant them pardon or find a soft landing for the them. The Tinubu government faces a greater risk of citizens rage if anything happens to any of those children. God forbid!