The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure the release of all the minors being detained over the August nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests.
The organisation urged Tinubu to use his “leadership position and good offices to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to take urgent steps to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of all the #EndBadGovernance protesters including the 32 hungry and malnourished children.”
SERAP said, “these children and other protesters are detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights.”
It urged him “to direct Mr Fagbemi and appropriate law enforcement agencies to promptly investigate the circumstances surrounding the grave violations of the human rights of the children and other protesters in detention, and to identify and bring to justice those responsible, and ensure justice and remedies for the victims.”
SERAP also urged him “to direct Mr Fagbemi and appropriate agencies to ensure the immediate access to medical treatment for all the protesters including the 32 hungry malnourished children for their apparently deteriorating health.”
In the open letter dated 2 November 2024 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Bringing charges against children and detaining them simply for the peaceful exercise of their human rights is clearly not acting in the best interests of the child.
“The detention of the 32 hungry and malnourished children also infringes their right to education. These children ought to be in school, and not languishing in detention.”
According to SERAP, the ill-treatment of the protesters including the 32 hungry and malnourished children has exposed the appalling conditions in Nigerian prisons.
The letter, copied to Dr. Matthew Gillett, the Chair-Rapporteur of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, reads in part: “The continuing arbitrary detention of the protesters creates a climate of fear, discouraging other citizens from freely exercising their human rights, leading to a broader chilling effect.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 48 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.
“SERAP is concerned that Nigerian authorities are weaponizing the criminal justice system to curtail the rights of the children and other protesters to liberty, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
“We are concerned that the rights of the protesters to life, health, and safety are being violated in detention. Bringing charges against the protesters and detaining them is neither necessary nor proportionate.
“The conditions in which these children and other protesters are being detained are utterly inadequate and substantially below international standards.”
