SERAP, Amnesty International Join Forces, Demand Release of Hungar Protesters

Prominent civil society organizations, including the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Amnesty International, and the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), have condemned the continued detention of 76 protesters from the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations. These detainees were arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja today.

PUNCH Online reports that in August, the Nigeria Police detained over a thousand protesters following rallies held between August 1 and August 10, 2024. Protesters called for an end to the economic hardships attributed to the policies of the Bola Tinubu administration.

Among those arraigned were minors who appeared visibly malnourished after months in detention. Disturbingly, one minor reportedly collapsed in court and was only provided biscuits and water for relief.

Reacting on its X (formerly Twitter) handle, SERAP condemned the detention of minors, urging President Tinubu to release all protesters and dismiss charges of treasonable felony against them. “The Tinubu administration must unconditionally release the 76 #EndBadGovernance protesters and drop all charges of ‘treasonable felony’ against them, or face legal action. No one should ever be punished for the peaceful exercise of their human rights,” the post stated.

Amnesty International echoed this stance, denouncing the charges against minors as an “utter disregard for the rule of law.” The organization demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all detained minors, highlighting other instances of unlawful arrests, including 12 minors detained in Katsina and 43 others facing treason charges in Abuja.

“In Katsina, at least 12 children under 16 years old were detained merely for being on the streets during the #EndBadGovernance protests. These children, with their entire lives ahead of them, are now at risk of being tried on fabricated charges. The government must release all of them immediately and unconditionally,” Amnesty International stated.

Emmanuel Onwubiko, National Coordinator of HURIWA, also criticized the Nigerian government, calling the situation a grave human rights violation. He noted that the presence of minors in court depicted Nigeria as a nation with little regard for children’s rights.

“This show of shame has exposed Nigeria as a nation that goes to the United Nations claiming to have abolished torture, yet these minors’ condition presents a stark contradiction. Today is a very sad day for Nigeria,” Onwubiko remarked.

Onwubiko further urged President Tinubu to intervene, calling for the minors’ immediate release and requesting the Ministry of Women Affairs to ensure their enrollment in schools or vocational programs.

“Let bygones be bygones. The President should immediately release these children and direct the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to enroll them in schools or vocational training, helping them to build self-sustaining skills and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s development,” he concluded.

Human rights organizations continue to warn that the Nigerian government is escalating its efforts to curb peaceful protests through unlawful detentions and questionable trials, sparking significant national and international concern over the state of human rights in the country.