JUST IN: Police IG Summons Top Officials To Investigate Malnourishment Of Protesters; See Details
The recent ordeal of minors arrested during the #EndBadGovernance protests in Nigeria has sparked national outrage and raised serious concerns about the treatment of children in detention. A total of 24 minors, who had been detained by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) since August for their involvement in the protests, were granted bail by Justice Obiora Egwuatu. However, troubling reports surfaced revealing that about 20 of these minors had been hospitalized due to severe malnutrition. These minors had been held under harsh conditions in a facility originally intended for adult detainees, at the Intelligence Response Team unit in Apo, Abuja.
The children had initially been rejected by Kuje Prison, with authorities unable or unwilling to house them there. Instead, they were detained in conditions that reportedly worsened their health, leading to several of them fainting and slumping inside a courtroom during their trial on November 1. The alarming scenes of malnourished children collapsing in court prompted urgent medical intervention and intensified public outcry both within Nigeria and internationally.
In response to the public uproar, President Bola Tinubu ordered the release of the minors on the same day, instructing that they be freed from the custody of the police. This decision came after widespread condemnation of the inhumane treatment of the children, who had been denied basic rights and subjected to neglect. The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, confirmed the release in an emergency briefing, stating that the situation was being closely monitored by the government.
The case also drew the attention of the Inspector- General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who summoned senior police officers to address the situation. The summons included Deputy Commissioners (DCs), the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and heads of investigation units, underscoring the severity of the allegations against the NPF regarding the welfare of the detained minors.
