Taiwo Popoola
President Bola Tinubu on Monday bowed to pressures from critics and has directed the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Lateef Fagbemi to facilitate the immediate release of all the minors arrested for their roles in the #EndBadGovernance protest.
The President said they should be released unconditionally and without prejudice to the law.
Tinubu also directed the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to ensure the minors are well taken care of by facilitating the reunion with their parents or guardians, wherever they are in the country.
Urban Express News Online recalls that 76 people were arrested in Kano and Kaduna states and detained for hoisting the Russian flag during the #EndBadGovernance protests and were charged to court for attempting to overthrow the President.
However, a mild drama ensued last week when about 29 of the minors among those arrested appeared in court for arraignment and some fainted due to alleged malnutrition.
The incident attracted widespread condemnation both within and outside the country, prompting calls from public spirited individuals
for charges against them to be dropped.
Briefing State House correspondents, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, flanked by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, and the Special Adviser to the President on Public Communications and Orientation, Sunday Dare, said that the President has directed the AGF to immediately ensure the release of the minors.
He also directed that all the law enforcement agents involved in the arrest, detention and prosecution of the minors be investigated and anyone found culpable, would face appropriate disciplinary action.
The minister said: “All of you are aware
that in the last couple of days, there have been some very deep inquiries and commentaries about the fate or the situation regarding the minors that had been arrested by the Nigerian police and undergoing some legal processes.
“You saw what happened in the courtroom. And as a result of that,
Mr. President, because of his very deep commitment to democracy and the rule of law, and without prejudice also to whatever legal processes there are and on the other hand, on the human part of it, he has directed that some
announcements be made.”
He continued: “I had a short briefing with Mr President early this evening, and he has directed the immediate release of all the minors that have been arrested by the Nigerian police.
“Without prejudice to whatever legal processes there are, the President has directed that all of them be released immediately.
“Second, the President has also directed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, to immediately see to the welfare of those minors, and also take part to ensure that there are smooth reunion with their parents or guardians, wherever they are in the country.
“The President has directed that a committee will be set up immediately to be headed by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. It is actually an Administrative Committee to look at all issues surrounding the arrest, detention, the treatment, and finally, the release of these young minors.
“Fourthly, the President has also directed that all the law enforcement agents involved in the arrest and the legal processes will be investigated,
and if there are any infractions found to have been committed by any official of government, be him, a law enforcement agency, or whoever, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against him or her.
“So to recap, the President has directed that these children, these minors be
released immediately. This is, of course, without prejudice to whatever legal processes there are.
“Of course, if you look at this issue, there is the legal side of it, but there is also the human angle, the humanitarian side of it. Mr. President has directed that whatever the circumstances are, let the minors be released.
“They can of course, continue whatever processes there are, if indeed there are,
as stipulated by our laws, but the minors, the President has directed that all of them be released.”
