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Abba Yusuf, the governor of Kano State, has promised to take all necessary steps to bring back minors believed to be from Kano who were recently arrested and arraigned in connection with the #EndBadGovernance protests.
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The protests, which saw participation from various regions, led to the arrest of 72 individuals from Abuja, Kaduna, Gombe, Jos, Katsina, and Kano, including several minors. They were arraigned on charges of terrorism, arson, and treasonable felony at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday. During the court proceedings, four minors reportedly collapsed and had to be rushed out of the courtroom.
The court granted bail to the defendants, setting the amount at N10 million for each of the 72 individuals. The arraignment of minors has drawn widespread condemnation from politicians, civil society groups, and concerned Nigerians. Rimazonte Ezekiel, the federal prosecutor, claimed that all those arraigned were adults, adding that “most of them are married men.” However, Muyiwa Adejobi, spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force, contradicted this, stating that the youngest person in the group is only 13 years old.
Governor Yusuf expressed his concern about the arrest of teenagers, especially those believed to be from Kano. In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) page, he confirmed that he has directed Haruna Dederi, the Kano State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, to take immediate action on the matter.
“My attention has been drawn to the appearance of teenagers (some believed to be from Kano) in court today in Abuja,” Yusuf said. “The Commissioner of Justice has been instructed to act immediately on the issue. We shall do everything possible to get them back to Kano, in sha Allah.”
The arrest and arraignment of minors have ignited a national debate on the treatment of young protesters and raised questions about the handling of civil rights in Nigeria.
