The Nigeria Police Force has stated that anyone more than 7 years old can be charged to court.
Adejobi stated this on Friday amid outrage regarding the arraignment of minor #EndBadGovernance protesters at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Adejobi highlighted that the legal framework permits minors as young as seven to be charged, as long as specific protocols are adhered to to guarantee due process.
He said, “Those exempt from criminal liability under the law are those below seven. Once you are above seven, you can be charged to court. The only consideration is the specific procedures required. None of them is younger than seven. The youngest is around 13,” he told Channels TV on Friday.
“The fact that someone is 13 does not mean they cannot be charged to court. Even under the Children and Young Persons Act, individuals can still be charged. We have charged them on behalf of the Federal Government.
“These are individuals who leveraged the #EndBadGovernance protests, hijacked it, became violent, and displayed flags from Russia and other countries, which is, of course, an offence. They are criminally liable, and we have not charged anyone underage.”
Recall Vanguard reported earlier that the federal government arraigned 76 individuals, primarily underage children, on Friday for their involvement in the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest in August before a Federal High Court in Abuja, the capital city.
However, at the beginning of the proceedings, four of the alleged protesters were quickly taken out after they collapsed.
The court later granted bail of N10 million to each of the 72 defendants and removed the names of four ailing children from the charges, while the remaining defendants pleaded not guilty.
[Vanguard]