LND Appeal To President Tinubu To Release Detained Minors Over “Bad Governance”

LND appeal to President Tinubu to release detained minors over “bad governance protest”

From Umar Dankano, Yola.

The League of Northern Democrats has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order the release of the minors charged for treasonable offence due to their participation in end bad governance protest.

Frowning at the development,the group opined that sending children already vulnerable and voiceless to detention in such conditions stands in contrast to the principles that define us as a compassionate society.

Making the appeal in a letter dated 2nd November 2024, titled “Appeal for the Release of Detained Minors from Northern Nigeria” addressed to the president Bola Tinubu, the league expressed deep concern over the recent detention and prosecution of children.

In the letter, the league urged Tinubu to

consider their compassionate release by invoking the values of justice, mercy and statesmanship that his office represents explaining that,the children were driven by their experience of the harsh realities of life in the nation which forced them to demonstrate to express their plight and the distress faced by their families and communities.

“Many of them are under the age of 16, with some even as young as 10 years old. While their participation in these protests may have been unorthodox, we submit that, their actions reflect the innocence of youth grappling with conditions that no child should have to endure.

“Their call, however rudimentary, was a plea for a brighter, more just Nigeria – one in which they might have an opportunity to grow and thrive!

“As a nation committed to the rule of law, it is vital that we uphold due process, especially in cases involving minors. While the children now face charges that carry heavy penalties, we strongly contend that their youthful actions, shaped by hardship, do not constitute a credible threat to society. Moreover, Your Excellency, we must recognize that these children come from impoverished backgrounds in a region that gave the most support in your election.

“For these children, the hardship they endure is a consequence not of malice or intention to disrupt the state, but rather of deprivation, hunger and simply to be heard.

“The conditions these children have been subjected to during detention have been particularly severe, resulting in marked malnutrition, illness and profound psychological distress.That, they have been detained for more than three months is itself a tragedy that does not serve the interests of justice or align with our nation’s moral principles.

“In this appeal, we respectfully seek your kind intervention on behalf of these future leaders (children) as they are

minors with limited understanding of the implications of their actions while detaining them for extended periods in adverse conditions is a violation

of their fundamental rights as children.

“On Legal ground or point of view as per the Nigerian Child Rights Act is concerned, every child is

entitled to protection from abuse, neglect and exploitation. Article 4 of

the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which

Nigeria has ratified, emphasizes that detention should be a last resort

and for the shortest time possible.

“These young citizens are not guilty of

acts warranting prolonged and punitive detention. Their voices, although

expressed in protest, should not be equated with criminal intent but

understood as cries for help amid hardship.

“In closing, we appeal to you as our leader and a father who, through personal and national experience, understands the resilience and strength needed to overcome hardship. A compassionate act in this instance would exemplify the character of leadership the nation so desperately needs at this time”.The letter advocated.

It could be recalled that,the recent appearance of 87 children before a high court in Abuja for prosecution over alleged treason by FG sparked wide condemnations from stakeholders including constitutional lawyers, analysts and civil society organizations in the country.