Buhari’s Minister Sends Message to Ribadu as Tinubu’s Govt Charges Minors With Treason
- Several children were arraigned on Friday, November 1, for participating in a protest against Nigeria’s disturbing cost-of-living crisis
- Four of them collapsed in court due to exhaustion before they could enter a plea, triggering public outrage
- A former Nigerian minister, Mohammed Hassan Abdullahi, waded in and faulted the prosecution of the minors
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering public affairs and governance.
FCT, Abuja - Mohammed Abdullahi, a former minister of environment, on Friday, November 1, described the arraignment of minors on charges of treason as “horrific and tragic”.
Abdullahi said he is 'unsure whether the federal ministry of justice and Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA), understand the gravity of the charges'.
Source: Twitter
Legit.ng had reported how the Bola Tinubu administration charged 76 people, including 30 minors, with treason and inciting a military coup after they took part in the August protests against economic hardship.
At the time, protesters demonstrated in Abuja; the commercial capital Lagos; and several other cities to express discontent with economic reforms that have led to rampant inflation and inflicted increasing hardship on ordinary Nigerians. Authorities were averse to the protests and persistently denounced the protest organisers.
Legit.ng understands that the minors at the centre of attention were granted bail on Friday, November 1, and the case will come to trial in January 2025.
Reacting to the scenes from the federal high court, Abuja, Abdullahi, who worked under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, criticised the condition of the alleged suspects.
He wrote on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle:
“This is quite horrific and tragic. I don’t know whether @FedMinOfJustice and @NuhuRibadu understands the gravity of the charges - Treason! For crying out loud, these unfed, malnourished kids? Come on, we should be better than this.”
Lawyer condemns minors' arraignment
Meanwhile, a human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, condemned in its entirety the arraignment for treason of children and minors who allegedly participated in the recent nationwide 'End Gad Governance' protests.
The legal practitioner, in a chat with Legit.ng, stated that the arrest, detention, and arraignment of the minors by the Nigerian police on charges of treason and attempting to overthrow a legitimate government among other charges contravenes a plethora of national, regional, and international laws.
He said:
"It is unacceptable to call innocent out-of-school children “suspects”.
"Malnourished and victimised children are not suspects, especially considering that protest is neither treason nor a crime. It is a right."
Sani tells Tinubu to withdraw charges against minors
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that former Kaduna Central senator, Shehu Sani, urged the federal government led by President Tinubu to immediately withdraw the charges slammed against minors who participated in the August 1-10, 2024, nationwide protest.
Sani in a post shared on his X page, described the development as "unfortunate and shameful."
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Source: Legit.ng
