From Victor Osula Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the release of all minors detained for their alleged involvement in the #EndBadGovernance protests in August.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this on Monday, while briefing State House correspondents after meeting with the president.
“The president has directed the immediate release of all the minors that have been arrested by the police without prejudice to any legal processes there are”, Idris said.
The minister said that President Tinubu also directed that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction should see to the welfare of the minors and ensure their reunion with their families.
This is as he announced that a committee will be formed by the government to investigate the conduct of all officials involved and anyone found in breach of the law will face disciplinary action.
The president’s directives follows recent outrage over their arraignment at the Federal High Court on Thursday, by the Police. Four of the minors ages 12 to 15 had collapsed upon their arraignment.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the release of all minors detained for their alleged involvement in the #EndBadGovernance protests in August.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this on Monday, while briefing State House correspondents after meeting with the president.
“The president has directed the immediate release of all the minors that have been arrested by the police without prejudice to any legal processes there are”, Idris said.
The minister said that President Tinubu also directed that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction should see to the welfare of the minors and ensure their reunion with their families.
This is as he announced that a committee will be formed by the government to investigate the conduct of all officials involved and anyone found in breach of the law will face disciplinary action.
Tinubu’s directives follows recent outrage over their arraignment at the Federal High Court on Friday, by the Police. Four of the minors had collapsed upon their arraignment.
One of the lawyers representing the defendants, Deji Adeyanju, had earlier disclosed that the minors, ages between 12 and 15, had illegally spent over 80 days in police custody. They were allegedly arrested on August 3 and 4, 2024, and had since been in detention.
Adeyanju said the minors are among many others that were arrested in Abuja and Kano state on August 3 and 4, 2024, during #EndBadGovernance protest.
They were arraigned on Friday, on a 10-count charges bordering on Treasonable felony, Rioting, destruction of public property, assaulting security officials, and looting/theft of public property, among others.
A charge sheet signed by its team of lawyers led by DCP Simon Lough, SAN, the Police alleged that the defendants, alongside others that are currently at large, had between July 31 and August 4, at Abuja and Kano metropolis, while acting in concert and with intent to destabilise Nigeria, conspired together to commit felony.
