President Bola Tinubu has ordered the release of the underage children arraigned before an Abuja Federal High Court on Friday, November 1, following national and global outrage and condemnation which came to his government.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced the release to State House correspondents during an emergency briefing at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
SaharaReporters had reported that the majority of the underage children arraigned before an Abuja Federal High Court on Friday, November 1, were now ill after Nigerian Correctional Service officials rejected them at Kuje Prison.
SaharaReporters had learnt that following their rejection at Kuje Prison, the malnourished minors were detained by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in a facility meant for adults at the Intelligence Response Team unit in the Apo area of the Federal Capital Territory.
The kids who were granted bail on stringent terms by Justice Obiora Egwuatu are 24 in number but about 20 of them have been hospitalised at an undisclosed hospital, according to sources.
The minister, Idris said, “The President has ordered the immediate release of all the minors who have been arrested by the Nigeria Police without prejudice to whatever legal processes they are undergoing. He has directed that they be released immediately.
“Secondly, the President has also directed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to immediately attend to the welfare of these minors, and to ensure their smooth reunion with their parents or guardians wherever they are in the country.
“Thirdly, the President has directed that an administrative committee will be set up immediately, to be headed by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, to examine all issues surrounding the arrest, detention, treatment, and finally, the release of these young minors.
“Fourthly, the President has also directed that all law enforcement agents involved in the arrest and the legal processes will be investigated, and if any infractions are found to have been committed by any official of Government, whether from a law enforcement agency or another appropriate authority, disciplinary action will be taken against him or her.”
The directive follows an uproar over the trial of at least 76 people, including 30 children, who were arraigned on Friday and charged with 10 felony counts, including treason, destruction of property, public disturbance, and mutiny.
Meanwhile pictures and videos of the incident seen by SaharaReporters on Friday showed some of the teenagers, who have been locked up since August, writhing on the floor of the courtroom, with some of other detainees trying to help them.
In one of the pictures, a lawyer was seen trying to resuscitate one of the protesters who collapsed while standing in the dock.
The detention of the teenagers was ordered by Justice Emeka Nwite, who granted an ex-parte application by the police to keep them in custody for 60 days to conclude their ‘investigation’ against the protesters, who have been accused of attempting to overthrow President Tinubu.
SaharaReporters learnt that 13 of them were brought to court from IRT cells while others were brought from cells scattered around other Abuja divisions.
The Network of Abuja Left Groups on Thursday had called for the immediate and unconditional release of 76 protesters, including 32 minors, who were arrested during the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations in August.