Following the recent remand and subsequent arraignment of some minors by the Police, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr Olukayode Egbetokun, has directed a full investigation into the care and welfare of detainees while in detention.
This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen by the Force Public Relations officer (FPRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi.
The statement said that the IGP gave the directive upon receiving the investigative report on the incident on Monday while in Algiers, Algeria for the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation committee meeting.
According to it, “The IGP vowed to thoroughly examine it and take necessary actions to address any procedural lapses or concerns.”
It added, “To further ensure professionalism in investigation with emphasis on child-friendly investigation and care, the IGP has summoned all DCs CID and Heads of Investigation Units to a conference and workshop on November 7, 2024, at the Police Resource Centre, Jabi.”
Court strikes out treason charges against young protesters
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday struck out the treason charge brought against the minors arraigned by IGP for participating in the August #Endbadgovernance protest.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu struck out the charge following its withdrawal by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, on behalf of the Federal Government.
The AGF, represented by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar had, at the proceedings on Tuesday, announced his exercise of Sections 174(1), (b), and (c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015 to take over the case from the IGP.
Upon the grant of the request by Justice Egwuatu, the AGF proceeded to request for invocation of the same section of the Constitution to discontinue the trial of the accused persons.
Following a no objection to the request from various lawyers representing the accused persons, Justice Egwuatu granted the request and struck out the charge against the protesters.
Although the accused persons were not in court, the Judge ordered their immediate release from the prison custody.
Shettima receives former protesters in Aso Rock
Following the order given by President Bola Tinubu, 119 participants in the protests were released and received at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.
They were received by Vice President Kashim Shettima on behalf of President Tinubu and handed over to their respective state governors, of Kaduna and Kano states, Uba Sani and Abba Yusuf, respectively.
Speaking during the event, Shettima said President Tinubu ordered the release of the suspects on humanitarian grounds despite substantial evidence of their culpability.
“The president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, instructed the release of the suspect on humanitarian grounds, despite incontrovertible digital video and photographic evidence of the perpetration and actions, some of which were uploaded by the actors themselves,” he said.
Addressing them, the Vice President said: “I would like to admonish you, young men not allow yourselves to be used to perpetrate violence and destroy public and private property.
“Over N300 billion was lost in the protests, consisting mainly of private property and loss of business.
“I will urge you to use the opportunity of the President’s magnanimous gesture to ensure that you overcome and become responsible citizens who will contribute to the growth of the society.”
Shettima also admonished governors and other representatives of states in attendance to ensure that the released detainees are rehabilitated.
“I will call our two governors and our Representatives into a single cause, and ensure that these subjects are rehabilitated and reintegrated into the fabric of our communities” he stated.
Enrol protesters in schools —Falana
Legal luminary, Chief Femi Falana, has urged President Tinubu to facilitate the full reintegration to the society the minors discharged of treason felony by sending them to schools immediately.
This came just as the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, hinted that he would be dragging the Federal Government to court if the minors were not sent to school, saying that the withdrawal of the case was not enough.
The senior lawyer, who spoke at Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja, while reviewing a book titled: “Judiciary Terrorism” written by Richard Akinnola, disclosed that the Tinubu-led government would have brought another set of 29 minors to Abuja from Maiduguri for arraignment if not for the last Friday’s international embarrassment.
According to him, “As I did say to the court, it’s not enough to terminate this trial. These young people, who ordinarily should have been in school during the protests, must be rehabilitated by the government. And we are going to ensure that they are rehabilitated and sent to school.
“If the government fails, we are going to court to sue the government. Because it is the responsibility of the government, by virtue of the child’s rights law, which has been adopted and enacted into law by all the states of the Federation.
“Section 15 of that law provides that every child in Nigeria shall be given free and compulsory education from primary to secondary school.”
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