The council to the Federal Government led by Rimazonte Ezekiel has addressed concerns regarding the age of individuals arrested during the #EndBadGovernance protests, asserting that those detained are adults, some of whom have children and hold academic degrees, News360 Nigeria reports.
This clarification comes amid widespread criticism over the alleged detention of minors in connection with the August demonstrations against economic hardship.
News360 Nigeris reports that 76 individuals, including 30 minors, were charged with treason and inciting a military coup following the protests.
Human rights organizations have expressed alarm over the treatment of these detainees, particularly the minors.
In response, the council to the Federal Government have stated that thorough investigations were conducted to verify the ages of the arrested individuals.
He emphasized that all detainees are legally adults, with some being parents and university graduates.
The protests, which erupted in August, were driven by public dissatisfaction with economic reforms that have led to increased inflation and hardship for many Nigerians.
The government’s handling of the protests and subsequent arrests has drawn both domestic and international scrutiny.
The harsh bail terms set at N10 million for each defendant have come under scrutiny from legal representatives, including defense lawyer Deji Adeyanju, who argued that such conditions effectively keep the protesters in prison. Several human rights organizations condemned the continued detention and treatment of the minors, accusing the administration of punitive measures against protesters.
Advocacy groups, including the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights and the Democratic Socialist Movement, released statements on Friday demanding the immediate release of all detained protesters and a halt to criminalizing public dissent.
Their demands also include an investigation into allegations of abuse faced by the detained minors, such as starvation and psychological trauma, calling for an end to what they describe as state-sponsored intimidation of protestors in Nigeria.
