A growing number of concerned Nigerians have launched a petition urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the ongoing trial of minors arrested on charges of treason following their involvement in the recent #EndBadGovernance protest.
Published on Change.org, the petition highlights concerns over the welfare of these children, who are reportedly facing severe legal consequences and calls for their immediate release.
The petition, which began circulating on Saturday, calls on President Tinubu to “defend the vulnerable and uphold justice, especially for our nation’s children.”
Citing the distressing image of children collapsing in court, petitioners argue that the arraignment of minors and the excessive bail conditions, set at millions of naira, are violations of Nigeria’s laws and international standards for protecting children’s rights and dignity.
In a poignant appeal to President Tinubu, the petitioners recalled that even under the repressive regime of General Sani Abacha, children were not subjected to the “inhumane treatment” currently being faced by these minors.
“It pains us to see actions under your administration echoing a more brutal past,” the petition reads, adding that Nigerians expect the current administration to champion justice and compassion, not repression.
The petition continues, “We trust that you may not be fully aware of the scale of this wrongdoing. This suffering is not something we believe you would knowingly condone. We appeal to your compassion and faith to halt this situation immediately. Our nation looks to your leadership to uphold values of humanity, justice, and freedom.”
Prominent figures, including former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and civil rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Enough Is Enough Nigeria, and Hope Behind Bars Africa, have publicly condemned the treatment of these children and called for their immediate release.
In a distressing incident last week, one of the detained minors collapsed in court, leading to further public outcry.
Reports indicate that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, charged the 22 minors with terrorism following the protest and obtained remand warrants to keep them in custody for over 60 days.
Responding to the growing criticism, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, reportedly directed the police to transfer the case file concerning the detained #EndBadGovernance protesters to his office.
