Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President of Nigeria, has criticized the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration for detaining and prosecuting #EndBadGovernance protesters who are minors.

Recall that minors were on Friday arraigned by the Nigeria Police for alleged treason. The minors were said to have been arrested by Nigeria Police during the August hunger protest.

Four of the malnourished minors detained for three months over #EndBadGovernance protests slumped during an appearance in the courtroom.

Reacting in a statement to Naija News, Atiku described the video showing the moment the minors slumped as disturbing.

Atiku, a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, said he finds it reprehensible that Tinubu who claims to have fought for Nigeria’s democracy and had led protests now demonises those who decide to demonstrate against the effects of his harsh policies.

He said: “A disturbing video of malnourished children being arraigned before a Federal High Court on the orders of the Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government has been brought to my notice.

“The horrible scene reminiscent of a Nazi concentration camp once again reflects the low premium the current government places on the lives of the vulnerable, especially children.

“For emphasis, Section 11 of the Child’s Rights Act guarantees dignity of the child.

“It states that, “Every child is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person, and accordingly, no child shall be ‐ (a) subjected to physical, mental or emotional injury, abuse, neglect or maltreatment, including sexual abuse; (b) subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

“The children are being prosecuted for their alleged role in the #EndBadGovernance protests, which took place between August 1 and August 10, 2024. If they are just being arraigned three months later, one can only imagine the sort of dehumanizing conditions they had been subjected to and have been detained all this while.

“I find it reprehensible that a man who claims to have fought for Nigeria’s democracy and had led protests now demonises those who decide to demonstrate against the effects of his harsh and draconian policies.

“Children who are the most affected by these polices have every right to protest peacefully as guaranteed by the Constitution and the Child Rights Act. A nation can be assessed by the way it treats its most vulnerable citizens. It is saddening that even underage children are not spared from the wickedness of T Pain.

“The disturbing condition under which the alleged accused children were brought to court projects the very justification for their participation in the protest in the first place.”

Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has reacted after three malnourished minors detained for three months over #EndBadGovernance protests slumped in the courtroom.

Naija News reported that minors were on Friday arraigned by the Nigeria Police for alleged treason. The minors were said to have been arrested by Nigeria Police during the August hunger protest.

In an open letter via X, Ezekwesili criticized President Bola Tinubu for punishing its citizens for daring to tell you the truth of #BadGovernance by his administration.

Ezekwesili asserted that Nigerian political leaders have serially failed the “test of leadership” because they act as wicked rulers who feel entitled to the “publicly-funded luxurious life” while repressing and pauperizing the citizens.

She also urged Tinubu to stop the prosecution of the minors and send the children back to their parents and ensure they are compensated for the physical, mental, emotional and overall psychological damage.

She wrote: “LETTER TO @officialABAT Here is the sordid evidence of the @NigeriaGov punishing your citizens for daring to tell you the truth of #BadGovernance by your administration. No one can ever solve a Problem they deny and refuse to own. No one.

“Agitation to #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria is shared by overwhelming majority of your citizens. For real. How many of your Citizens can you take to court like done to these minors? How many of your Citizens can you detain and deprive of their freedoms like done to these minors?

“Hear me. No ruler has ever won against their people forever. Check history. Note that I wrote ruler and not leader. The repressive class of politicians in Nigeria are not leaders. You all have serially failed the “test of leadership” because you act as wicked rulers who feel entitled to the “publicly-funded luxurious life” while repressing and pauperizing the citizens.

“Second, @officialABAT, the evident corrupted capture of our Judiciary by the @NigeriaGov is playing out daily on Candid Camera before the eyes of the world. The trial of these minors is one of many examples these days. Stop the wicked prosecution of these minors immediately and send the children back to their parents and guardians.

“Next, ensure that they are compensated for the physical, mental, emotional and overall psychological damage you have done to them by abusing the powers of the Nigerian State and grossly violating their constitutional rights.

“When those children came out to protest asking you to #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, they were telling you the “Truth and nothing but the Truth”. I hope you start listening to what majority of your Citizens especially these children are telling you daily: “Ebi npawa” , “we are hungry”.”

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to 76 individuals involved in the #EndBadGovernance protests that took place in August 2024.

Naija News reports seventy-five suspects, aged between twelve and fifteen years of age, were brought by the Police before Justice Obiora Egwuatu on a 10-count charge in relation to their participation in the protest.

On Friday, Justice Egwuatu presided over the proceedings and set bail for each defendant at ₦10 million.

In his ruling, Justice Egwuatu mandated that each protester provide two sureties, each for the same amount.

One of these sureties must be a civil servant holding a grade level of 15 or higher, who also has a verifiable address within the court’s jurisdiction. The second surety is required to be a parent of the protester.

Earlier reports indicated that the Nigerian government had temporarily dropped charges against five minors facing trial for their participation in the #EndBadGovernance protests after they collapsed in the courtroom.

These minors had been in custody for several weeks and exhibited clear signs of poor health, which worsened during the court session, necessitating urgent medical attention.

Eyewitness accounts described the situation as distressing, with some lawyers rushing to aid the young individuals who collapsed after being summoned to the dock.

In response to this incident, the prosecution sought the temporary withdrawal of charges, a request that was granted by the court, noting that the minors would be re-arraigned once their health improved.

“A couple of them fainted inside the courtroom because of maltreatment, they have not eaten for some days,” a source told SaharaReporters, accusing authorities of using hunger as a means of torture against the protesters for exercising their constitutional rights.

One malnourished minor was the first to collapse, followed by four others who also fell to the courtroom floor.

The courtroom descended into chaos as the primarily minor defendants were asked to step into the dock.

Some lawyers and court officials quickly administered aid to the minors before they were taken to the hospital, causing court proceedings to be temporarily suspended.

Following this episode, the prosecution invoked the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 to request the withdrawal of charges against the minors on health grounds.

Defence attorney Abubakar Marshal argued that the minors should be returned to their parents.

The Federal High Court in Lagos, on Friday, ruled for the final forfeiture of $2.045 million, seven premium landed properties, and share certificates tied to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

Justice Deinde Dipeolu issued the ruling after determining that neither Emefiele nor any other claimant contested the interim forfeiture order.

The forfeiture includes two share certificates of Queensdorf Global Fund Limited Trust and seven high-value properties, which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) argued were not linked to any verifiable lawful earnings from Emefiele’s time at Zenith Bank or the CBN.

Justice Dipeolu held that Emefiele had not provided documentation or any legitimate source of funds to substantiate his acquisition of the properties.

Emefiele, who has consistently denied any connection to the implicated companies through which the properties were purchased, did not appear in court to defend his ownership claims.

The companies—Amrash Ventures Limited, Modern Hotels Limited, Finebury Properties Limited, Fidelity Express Services Limited, H & Y Business Global Limited, and SDEM Erectors Nigeria Limited—also failed to challenge the forfeiture.

Justice Dipeolu held, “the conclusion that can be deduced is that there must be something dark about the acquisition of the properties which Emefiele and the companies does not want to come to light.”

The judge further held “that the interested party has failed to demonstrate any lawful interest in the properties and that they were aquired from his legitimate earnings.

“I therefore order the final forfeiture to the Federal Government of Nigeria of all those properties…which are reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.”

The properties are: two fully detached duplexes of identical structures, lying being and situated at No. 17b Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; an undeveloped land, measuring 1919.592sqm with Survey Plan No. DS/LS/340 at Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (Formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos; a bungalow at No. 65a Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, (Formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos and a four-bedroom duplex at 12a Probyn Road, Ikoyi.

Others are an industrial complex under construction on 22 plots of land in Agbor, Delta State; 8 units of an undetached apartment on a plot measuring 2457.60sqm at No. 8a Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi, and a full duplex together with all its appurtenances on a plot of land measuring 2217.87sqm at 2a Bank Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

On August 15, 2024, the court authorized the EFCC to take custody of the cash sum of $2.045million temporarily, seven choice landed properties and shares linked to Emefiele after hearing an Exparte application filed by lead counsel to the Commission, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).

The court’s ruling followed the EFCC’s assertion that the money and other items sought to be forfeited were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

However, counsel to Emefiele, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), had urged the court to stay proceedings and not grant the final forfeiture of the properties.

Comfort Olalere Tinubu, a 33-year-old wife, has allegedly killed her own husband.

The woman stabbed her 39-year-old husband, Olusegun Tinubu, to death in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

It was gathered that the couple, who got married about three years ago, had two children from the marriage.

The incident, according to sources, occurred around the Gbeyi community in Adegbayi area of Ibadan.

Daily Post reports on Friday that the incident occurred Wednesday night around 10 p.m.

It was learned that the crisis started as a result of an argument over the wife locking the husband out of the bedroom.

This later resulted in a fight during which the wife allegedly stabbed the husband in the back.

It was learned that the matter was earlier reported at the Gbagi Police Station.

The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Iyaganku, Ibadan, according to a source.

Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Adewale Osifeso, when contacted, said that the case is under investigation.

He added that updates would be provided accordingly.

Osifeso, in a short statement made available to DAILY POST on Friday, said, “The case is under investigation at the Homicide Department of the State Criminal Investigation Department of the Command. Updates will be provided accordingly, please.”