#EndBadGovernance: CACOL Condemns, Detention, Arraignment And Inhuman Treatment Of Detained Minors
The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has condemned in strong terms the detention, arraignment and inhuman treatment of minors arrested during the recent End Bad Governance protests.
In a release issued by CACOL and signed by Tola Oresanwo, the anti-corruption organization’s Director, Administration and Programmes on behalf of its Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, he stated “It was disgusting to watch a trending video footage on social media which depicts minors who appeared emaciated and visibly distressed after nearly three months in detention. During a court appearance, one minor collapsed while others wept, prompting onlookers to challenge the legitimacy of the proceedings.
” It is a known fact that the End Bad Governance protests have emerged as a powerful cry for change, highlighting deep-rooted issues of corruption, inequality, and systemic neglect in our society. Amid the fervor and fervent calls for accountability, a disturbing reality has come to light: a significant number of minors detained during these protests are suffering from severe malnutrition and deprivation.
“This grim intersection of political turmoil and child welfare underscores a profound failure of governance, where the most vulnerable—our children—bear the brunt of societal dysfunction. We want to express our displeasure, dissatisfaction and vexation to the treatment being meted out to these minors who we believe are just victims of circumstances and whose only sin is exercising their rights to protest and demanding accountability. It is lamentable to note that the root cause of the protest has not been attended to till now by the government of the day as hapless Nigerians still grapple with astronomical increases in the pump price of fuel, foodstuffs and other basic needs.
“We would like to call on the President to order the immediate release of these children unconditionally and cases against them should be withdrawn so as not to turn them into hardened criminals by putting them behind bars where they could easily be influenced by other bad elements. Since Juvenile suspects are meant to be detained at remand homes with minimum conditions for detention, those who kept the minors in custody with adult suspects under such conditions should be investigated and punished. After their release, these minors should be subjected to psychological debriefing which is a set of procedures that aims to help people recover from a traumatic event and prevent psychological harm.
“They should also be compensated for the inhuman treatment meted out to them by the agencies of the state. As the nation grapples with demands for justice and reform, the plight of these malnourished minors serves as a haunting reminder of the urgent need for comprehensive policies that would lead to total overhaul of the nation’s justice system and prioritize the health and well-being of all citizens.”
