Nigerian Authorities Withdraw Treason Charges Against Child Protesters Following Public Outcry

Nigerian officials have withdrawn charges of treason and other offenses against numerous demonstrators, among them over 30 minors, who were apprehended in August following their participation in anti-government protests. President Bola Tinubu had previously requested the liberation of all the young detainees – with some being as young as 14 years old – subsequent to video recordings emerging on Friday showing four of them collapsing in court, seemingly from malnourishment, which ignited widespread indignation. Furthermore, he stated that an inquiry should be conducted into the police and other personnel implicated in the apprehensions and the ensuing legal proceedings. The widely circulated videos depicting the young individuals in distress prompted a renewed discussion concerning their treatment and the duration of their custody. While initial accounts indicated 27 young individuals were involved, further information has since surfaced regarding an additional group of detainees, including more individuals aged between 14 and 17. These individuals had been held for almost three months following their involvement in the #EndBadGovernance protests, which spread across the nation in August amid an escalating cost-of-living crisis. The demonstrations escalated into violence in certain areas as participants confronted security personnel. Police reported seven fatalities, although human rights organizations claim the death toll reached 23. Approximately 700 individuals were apprehended. Among those appearing in court in Abuja, the capital, on Friday, some faced accusations of displaying Russian flags and conspiring to depose the Nigerian government. On Monday, President Tinubu’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, issued a statement indicating that the Nigerian humanitarian affairs ministry had received instructions “to ensure the safe return of all the minors to their families while an investigation has been opened into the circumstances leading to their prolonged detention”. Following the emergence of the courtroom video, the Nigerian rights organization Enough is Enough declared that the children had endured “institutional child abuse”. Amnesty International characterized the children’s confinement as “one of the deadliest attempts to suppress freedom of assembly” to date. According to observers, the decision to withdraw the charges and free the children constituted a face-saving action, suggesting the government could have prevented the embarrassment had it not adopted an authoritarian stance against demonstrators advocating for improved governance.