Atiku condemns court arraignment of malnourished children

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Friday expressed deep concern over viral videos showing malnourished children being paraded in court in connection with the #EndBadGovernance protests. His statement, issued by his media team in Abuja and shared on his official X account, described the sight as “reminiscent of a Nazi concentration camp.”

The children were among 76 protesters facing arraignment before Justice Obiora Egwuatu at the Federal High Court in Abuja. These individuals, arrested during nationwide protests from August 1 to 10, were reportedly detained in various states, including Abuja, Kaduna, Gombe, Jos, Katsina, and Kano. The protests had erupted as citizens rallied against economic hardship and worsening living conditions, with the protesters now facing charges of treason, among other allegations.

In a distressing scene, four minors among the detainees reportedly struggled to stand during the court proceedings and were hurriedly removed from the courtroom. Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, condemned the treatment of these young detainees, stressing that it violated Section 11 of the Child Rights Act, which protects children from physical, mental, or emotional harm and from inhuman treatment.

“If they are just being arraigned three months later, one can only imagine the sort of dehumanizing conditions they have endured in detention,” Atiku said. He further criticized the government, particularly President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying, “It is reprehensible that a man who claims to have fought for Nigeria’s democracy and led protests now demonizes those who dare to demonstrate against his harsh and draconian policies.”

Atiku argued that children, among those most affected by the government’s economic policies, had every right to peaceful protest, as enshrined in both the Nigerian Constitution and the Child Rights Act. He added, “A nation can be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens. It is saddening that even underage children are not spared from this wickedness.”

https://x.com/atiku/status/1852357231024451994?t=3PE6KFfiGtFXwrQg_vChZA&s=19