A video of Babagana Zulum, Borno State Governor, commenting on the release of minors detained and charged over the #EndBadGovernance protest in August surfaced on X on Friday.

Zulum, who spoke in Hausa, noted that even though he was happy about the release of the minors, they ought to have been punished simply because they took part in the nationwide protest from August 1–10.

“I’m happy that the [minors] were released. And I’m also not happy. The charge placed against them wasn’t right. But they should have been punished by being taken to remand homes or rehabilitation centres. So they could not repeat what they did,” said Zulum.

His remarks have drawn backlash on social media, considering his administration’s decision to pardon thousands of ‘repentant’ terrorists earlier in the year as part of a deradicalisation programme.

READ ALSO: Zulum’s Gov’t Says Repentant Terrorists Can’t Go Back to Crime, but History Says Otherwise

@PureStanley1, an X user wrote: “This clown that pardoned and helped with the rehabilitation and reintegration of over 70,000 Boko Haram terrorísts back to the community is saying that the 69 minors that engaged in the peaceful #EndBadGovernance protest should be kept in jaiI for exercising their right? Rehabilitation and pardon for blood-thirsty terrorísts. JaiI and torture to the citizens that protested against bad governance.”

Another X user @console_dot wrote: “But you celebrate ‘repentant terrorists'”. @KelvinFC01 said: “You foolish and useless leaders can welcome the so-called repentant bandits in grand style to the government house, just like how the governor of Kano State welcomed them with heavy security.”

In an effort to reassure Borno residents about its decision to release over 160,000 repentant terrorists, Zulum’s government stated in February that they had sworn on the Quran to never return to their old ways.

READ ALSO: Zulum ‘Goes Undercover’ to Expose Corrupt Medical Staff, Ghost Workers

In fact, as of February 14, the government said that at least 70,000 of the terrorists who repented had already been reintegrated into their home communities.

“We operate a transparent process of their repentance,” Zuwaira Gambo, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, had said.

FIJ earlier reported that at least 25 minors were arraigned on charges of alleged terrorism in August after they participated in the protest.

They were not released until November when President Bola Tinubu ordered their immediate release following widespread outrage over their arraignment, particularly after videos of the minors in very poor physical condition circulated.