CISLAC Condemns Detention of Minors in #EndBadGovernance Protests, Demands Immediate Release
Maryam Aminu
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has strongly denounced the detention and reported maltreatment of minors involved in recent #EndBadGovernance protests across Nigeria, urging the immediate release of these young detainees.
Reports indicate that several children, some younger than 15, collapsed from malnutrition during a hearing at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The minors have been held since August following their participation in protests against rising insecurity and economic hardship, allegedly facing inadequate food and medical care in police detention.
In a statement signed by CISLAC’s Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the organization appealed directly to First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, urging her to consider the detainees as “her own children” and intervene on their behalf.
CISLAC also called upon President Bola Tinubu to address the actions of government officials involved, including the Minister of Justice, and to ensure the immediate release of the minors.
“This inhumane treatment of young citizens exercising their constitutional rights tarnishes Nigeria’s global image and undermines our commitment to democracy and human rights,” Rafsanjani said.
“Those responsible for these injustices must be held accountable.”
Heartbreaking images and videos from the courtroom, widely circulated on social media, depict minors lying weak on the floor, with lawyers and onlookers attempting to assist them.
The footage has sparked outrage, with viewers noting the minors’ visible physical decline since their detention.
Sources allege that the harsh treatment and prolonged detention conditions were deliberately imposed as punishment for the minors’ alleged opposition to the government, despite a lack of credible evidence supporting such claims.
CISLAC has called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to take swift action in defending the rights of the detainees.
CISLAC further appealed to international organizations such as UNICEF, the World Food Organization, the World Health Organization, and Save the Children Foundation to condemn the incident and advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of the detained minors.
“This treatment is unconscionable,” Rafsanjani emphasized.
“We call on all responsible authorities to ensure the swift release of these minors and to hold those accountable who orchestrated their detention.
This incident is a dark mark on our national commitment to uphold the rule of law and protect human rights.”
The minors were reportedly detained based on police claims of involvement in an alleged plot to destabilize the government.
However, CISLAC and other human rights organizations argue that these detentions violate both national and international standards for the treatment of minors and are a misuse of state power.
