Prominent Nigerians and institutions have called for the immediate release of minors detained over August’s #EndBadGovernance protest after they were arraigned in very poor health on Friday.

FIJ earlier reported how Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), charged no fewer than 22 minors with terrorism after the protest in August. Egbetokun also secured remand warrants to keep them in custody for over 60 days.

More children appeared to be set for arraignment in court documents from September marked FHC/ABJ/CS/503/2024.

One of the children slumped and lost consciousness inside the courtroom of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday morning.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Child IGP Egbetokun Arraigned Over #EndBadGovernance Protest Slumps in Court

Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2023 presidential candidate, and Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, along with organisations such as Amnesty International, Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria and Hope Behind Bars Africa condemned the treatment of the minors on Friday.

Videos showed these minors appearing malnourished inside the courtroom.

In a post shared on his X page, Abubakar described what he saw as a horrible scene reminiscent of a Nazi concentration camp.

Noting that the government’s actions violated the Child’s Rights Act, Abubakar said: “If they are just being arraigned three months later, one can only imagine the sort of dehumanising conditions they had been subjected to and have been detained all this while.

“I find it reprehensible that a man who claims to have fought for Nigeria’s democracy and had led protests now demonises those who decide to demonstrate against the effects of his harsh and draconian policies. Children who are the most affected by these policies have every right to protest peacefully, as guaranteed by the Constitution and the Child Rights Act.”

For Obi, the disturbing and condemnable scenes captured in the clips showed that the children were poorly handled despite being in the custody of the government.

He called on the Attorney General of the Federation, the Police, the DSS and the National Human Rights Commission to thoroughly investigate the inhuman treatment of the minors.

Also lending its voice to the voices of many Nigerians condemning the maltreatment of the children, Amnesty International Nigeria wrote on X, “President Bola Tinubu’s government detained these minors since August, for protesting against hunger and corruption, without access to legal assistance or family. Because of the horrifying condition of the detention many of them need urgent medical attention.”

Amnesty International added that the detention of minors for participating in protests against hunger and corruption was one of the attempts to suppress freedom of assembly. “President Bola Tinubu must unconditionally release the minors detained since August,” the group noted.

“They were hungry. They spoke up. Now they’re in prison. Teenagers as young as 14 have been detained for exercising their right to protest in Nigeria. This is inhumane. Release these children immediately!” said EiE Nigeria, another advocacy group, on Friday.

READ ALSO: IGP Egbetokun to Arraign 28 More Children in Court as #EndBadGovernance Protesters

Hope Behind Bars Africa, a criminal justice reform organisation, equally condemned the treatment of the detained minors and the breach of their fundamental human rights, which ought to be safeguarded by law.

“We condemn the neglect faced by these minors and call for immediate medical attention for them. We urgently advocate for a criminal justice system that upholds the dignity of all inmates, especially the most vulnerable,” stated Hope Behind Bars Africa.

Meanwhile, the bail conditions for the children have been set, according to an update provided by Hope Behind Bars Africa.

The court asked for two sureties each (one civil servant and a family member, such as a parent or sibling). The civil servant is to provide his or her employment letter, last promotion letter, two passport photographs and a valid means of identification.

“Minors are to be remanded at a borstal home, while the adult suspects are to be remanded at Kuje Custodial Centre pending perfection of bail,” noted Hope Behind Bars Africa.