Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has berated the federal government for arraigning minors who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest before the court.
Recall that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja arraigned
76 detained #EndBadGovernance protesters which mostly included malnourished
minors.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu granted the minors bail of N10
million each out of the 76 arraigned for participating in the August 2024
EndBadGovernance protests.
Reacting, Atiku pointed out that the arraignment is reminiscent of a Nazi concentration camp once again which reflects the low premium the current government places on the lives of the vulnerable, especially children.
He wrote on X, “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 the 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 policies 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”.
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