The Socio-Financial Rights and Accountability Undertaking has urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Lawyer-Basic of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, to make sure the discharge of all #EndBadGovernance protesters, “together with the 32 hungry and malnourished kids.”
SERAP lamented that the “kids” and another protesters had been “detained solely for the peaceable train of their human rights.”
This request is contained in a letter dated November 2, 2024, obtained by PUNCH On-line on Sunday, November 3, 2024, and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
SERAP famous that the detention of the protesters might discourage different residents from exercising their rights, including that if the president doesn’t act on its suggestions inside 48 hours, authorized actions shall be taken towards him.
The letter, which was copied to the Chair-Rapporteur of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Dr Matthew Gillett, urged Tinubu “to direct Mr Fagbemi and applicable regulation enforcement businesses to promptly examine the circumstances surrounding the grave violations of the human rights of the kids and different protesters in detention, to establish and produce to justice these accountable, and to make sure justice and treatments for the victims.
“Direct Mr Fagbemi and applicable businesses to make sure instant entry to medical therapy for all of the protesters, together with the 32 hungry and malnourished kids, whose well being is outwardly deteriorating.”
The organisation acknowledged that “bringing expenses towards kids and detaining them merely for the peaceable train of their human rights is clearly not appearing within the ‘finest pursuits of the kid,’” including that their detention violates “their rights to training.”
It continued, “The obvious ill-treatment of the protesters, together with the 32 hungry and malnourished kids, has highlighted the appalling circumstances in Nigeria’s prisons, which proceed to place lives in danger. The continued arbitrary detention of the protesters creates a local weather of concern, discouraging different residents from freely exercising their human rights and resulting in a broader chilling impact.
“We might be grateful if the beneficial measures are taken inside 48 hours of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we’ve got not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take into account applicable authorized actions to compel your authorities to adjust to our request within the public curiosity.
“SERAP is worried that Nigerian authorities are weaponising the prison justice system to curtail the rights of the kids and different protesters to liberty, freedom of expression, and peaceable meeting. We’re involved that the rights of the protesters to life, well being, and security are being violated in detention. Bringing expenses towards the protesters and detaining them is neither mandatory nor proportionate,” amongst others.
The Inspector-Basic of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, arraigned the defendants on ten counts, together with treason, incitement to mutiny by urging the navy to take away the president, and different associated expenses.
Nevertheless, Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja granted bail to the 76 #EndBadGovernance protesters on Friday, setting a complete bail sum of ₦760 million, with two sureties required for every defendant.
AGF Reacts
In the meantime, Fagbemi, in an announcement launched late Friday, expressed his curiosity in taking on the matter from the IGP, stating he takes steps to drop the costs introduced towards the 32 arraigned minors.
“There are some points my workplace might want to look into concerning the matter to allow me to make an knowledgeable determination.
“It’s not inside my energy to range the court docket order remanding the defendants in detention centres and adjourning the case to January. I’ve, nonetheless, directed the Nigeria Police to switch the case file to my workplace and hand it over to the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation tomorrow, Saturday, November 2, 2024.
“I’ve additional directed the DPPF to instantly provoke steps to request an earlier adjournment date,” he acknowledged.