BREAKING: Underage Detainees Facing Death Penalty for Protesting Against Tinubu’s Govt Hospitalised After Falling Ill in Detention
Several underage detainees facing the death penalty in Nigeria have reportedly fallen seriously ill while in detention, leading to their hospitalization in Abuja.
According to SaharaReporters, after officials at Kuje Prison rejected the minors due to malnutrition and their age, they were transferred to a police facility in the Apo area of Abuja, which is designed for adult detainees.
The detainees, comprising 24 minors, were initially arraigned before an Abuja Federal High Court on November 1 and granted bail under strict conditions by Justice Obiora Egwuatu. However, about 20 of them are now hospitalized at an undisclosed location after facing harsh conditions at the Intelligence Response Team unit, where they were detained in adult facilities. Sources noted that malnourishment and lack of adequate care have severely impacted their health.
Human rights group Take It Back Movement reported that when they visited the detainees to provide food and clothing, only six minors were available; the remaining detainees were reportedly too ill to meet visitors and had been moved to hospitals.
These minors have been in detention for over 90 days on treason charges linked to their participation in the peaceful #EndBadGovernance protest in August. This prolonged detention and the poor conditions of their imprisonment have triggered widespread condemnation. Activists and rights groups across the nation are now urging the government to release the minors unconditionally and investigate their alleged mistreatment.
In a joint statement on Friday, human rights organizations condemned the continued detention, which they argue reflects a punitive stance against dissent. They demanded immediate suspension of all bail conditions for the protesters, a transparent investigation into the reported cases of starvation and abuse of the minors, and an end to the criminalization of protest.
Amid growing public outcry, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has requested the case file for review. Following President Bola Tinubu’s directive, Fagbemi has instructed the Nigeria Police to transfer the case file to his office for further assessment and to consider advancing the court’s adjourned date.
It has come to my notice that the police have arraigned those arrested in connection with the EndBadGovernance protest,” Fagbemi said in a Friday evening statement. “There are issues my office needs to address to make an informed decision. While the court remanded them to detention until January, I have directed the police to transfer the case file to the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, with an aim to bring the adjournment date forward.
This case has drawn national and international attention as the handling of the underage detainees remains a contentious issue in Nigeria’s legal and human rights landscape.
