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End Bad Governance Protest: Northern Youth Assembly Urges For Unconditional Withdrawal of Charges Against Minors

BySani Magaji Garko

Nov 2, 2024

The National leadership of the Northern Youth Assembly (Majalisar Matasan Arewa) has urged for unconditional released of underage children arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force during End bad governance protest in the country.

The president National president and secretary of the assembly Dr. Ali Idris Mohammed and Dr. Garba Abdulhafiz respectively disclosed this in a statement sent to GLOBAL TRACKER in Kano at the Weekend.

According to the statement, the northern youth expressed their dismay over the content of a viral video showing some underage children looking Hungary, depressed dog-tired and malnourished, arraigned before the court in Abuja.

READ ALSO: End Bad Governance Protest: Kwankwaso Slams Police Over Arraignment of Minors

The statement reads in full “The National Leadership of the Northern Youth Assembly (Majalisar Matasan Arewa), on behalf of the Nineteen Northern States Chapters, wishes to unequivocally express our dismay over the content of a viral video showing, some underage children looking hungry, depressed, dog-tired and malnourished, arraigned before the high court in Abuja, on the charges of raising some foreign flags during an end bad governance protest which took place from the 1st to 10th August, 2024 across the Country.

It is our adamant belief that the event at the court was nothing but yet an additional damage done on the little integrity left of the Nigerian Judiciary, and the Nigerian criminal administration system, as a whole. This has therefore constituted what could be best described as devastating, heartbreaking, pathetic and appalling to say the least.

The Nigerian criminal law, has provided that, all criminal cases must be presented before the courts not later than 48 hours, and anything contrary to this may amount to an infringement on the fundamental rights of any suspect, except on some conditions especially under the strict instructions of a competent court of law. The continued detention of those helpless and poor children by the Federal Government authorities, is not only a blatant disregard to the provisions of the laws of the land, but also a deliberate scheme to destroy the future of those young people or even jeopardize their lives

Raising foreign flags by the citizens of a particular country during protest has become a global practice, and it indicates nothing but a practical dissatisfaction of the citizens towards the Government of the day.

It is our understanding, that this Government has assumed the status of an undemocratic regime which has no regard for the written or extant laws of the land, and systematically transforming the Government into an authoritarian administration, characterized by nepotism, favoritism and ill – feelings against some particular sections of the country

It could be recalled that, few weeks ago, the Yoruba Nation agitation advocate, Mr. Sunday Igboho, organized and led a protest in London, declaring their open resolution to separate from Nigeria and announcing their commitment towards the establishment of a Yoruba Nation. In addition, Mr. Sunday Igboho, equally submitted a petition to the UK Prime Minister, seeking for his support to actualize the agitation for Yoruba Nation, and yet nobody has been arrested till now, looking at the gravity and implications of their actions, except for some minors who raised some foreign flags at the behest of the mastermind and sponsors, which none has also been arrested or exposed by the Nigerian security operatives.

READ ALSO: End Bad Governance Protest: CISLAC Condemn Detention of Minors Urges Immediate Release

The APC Government began the trial of minors, who were arrested in August for participation in a protest against the APC poor governance. Unfortunately , some of these young protesters appeared in court visibly malnourished, and many of them were seen collapsed due to severe hunger and sickness after enduring a prolonged detention of over 90 days, by the Nigerian authorities. The sight of these starving youths, detained simply for speaking out or participating in the national protest, is an affront to criminal justice system, humanity and democracy

It is both unacceptable and deeply disquieting that children, minors, and young Nigerians have been held since August on the allegation that they had sought to destabilize the government. These allegations are not only unfounded but also reveal a disturbing disregard for the rights and welfare of these young people as Nigerians

It is on this note, we wish to implore His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to order the withdrawal of all the charges and the release of those boys unconditionally, to avoid further embarrassment to the Government and to the Nigerian criminal justice system, in the interest of fairness, upholding rule of law and principles of democracy.

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