Saturday, November 2, 2024 -Abba Yusuf, the governor of Kano State, has
promised to take all necessary steps to bring back minors believed to be from
Kano who were recently arrested and arraigned in connection with the
#EndBadGovernance protests.
The protests, which saw participation from various regions, led to the
arrest of 72 individuals from Abuja, Kaduna, Gombe, Jos, Katsina, and Kano,
including several minors. They were arraigned on charges of terrorism, arson,
and treasonable felony at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday. During the
court proceedings, four minors reportedly collapsed and had to be rushed out of
the courtroom.
The court granted bail to the defendants, setting the amount at N10
million for each of the 72 individuals. The arraignment of minors has drawn
widespread condemnation from politicians, civil society groups, and concerned
Nigerians. Rimazonte Ezekiel, the federal prosecutor, claimed that all those
arraigned were adults, adding that "most of them are married men."
However, Muyiwa Adejobi, spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force,
contradicted this, stating that the youngest person in the group is only 13 years
old.
Governor Yusuf expressed his concern about the arrest of teenagers,
especially those believed to be from Kano. In a post on his X (formerly
Twitter) page, he confirmed that he has directed Haruna Dederi, the Kano State
Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, to take immediate action on the
matter.
“My attention has been drawn to the appearance of teenagers (some
believed to be from Kano) in court today in Abuja,” Yusuf said. “The
Commissioner of Justice has been instructed to act immediately on the issue. We
shall do everything possible to get them back to Kano, in sha Allah.”
The arrest and arraignment of minors have ignited a national debate on
the treatment of young protesters and raised questions about the handling of
civil rights in Nigeria.
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