Lawyers oppose trial of minors.
29 children may be executed in Nigeria for participating in protest against rising living costs. Four of them collapsed in court due to exhaustion before they could testify.
CNN reports this.
According to the indictment, a total of 76 protesters were charged with 10 counts of serious crimes, including treason, destruction of property, breach of peace and riot. The minors are aged between 14 and 17.
Frustration over the high cost of living has led to mass protests in Nigeria. At least 20 people were killed and hundreds arrested during one protest in August.
It is reported that 29 children could face the death penalty for participating in the protests, although the country has not carried out any executions since 2016. Lawyer Akintayo Balogun noted that the Child Rights Act prohibits juveniles from being held criminally responsible or facing the death penalty.
He said it was wrong to send the minors to federal court unless the government could prove that all of them were over 19. According to Marshal Abubakar, who is representing some of the boys, the court has set bail for each of the accused at 10 million naira ($5,900) and imposed strict conditions that they are yet to comply with.
He stressed that a country that should be providing education to its children has decided to punish these children. He noted that they have been in jail for 90 days without food.
The head of Enough is Enough, Yema Adamolekun, an organization fighting for good governance in Nigeria, noted that the authorities should not persecute children. She also noted that the Chief Justice of Nigeria should be ashamed of her position, since she is a woman and a mother.
Adamolekun said that despite Nigeria's status as one of the largest oil producers in Africa, the country remains poor, and corruption has a serious impact on the standard of living of the population. Health workers often strike over low wages.
In Nigeria, politicians and lawmakers, often suspected of corruption, earn high salaries, some of the highest in Africa. The president's wife, although her position is not enshrined in the constitution, has access to luxury cars paid for by the state.
With a population of over 210 million, Nigeria is the largest on the continent, but also ranks among the world's hungriest countries. The government is struggling to address the jobs problem. Inflation has reached a 28-year high, and the local currency, the naira, has depreciated against the dollar.
The latest UN report has labeled Nigeria as a “hotspot of serious concern” as many are already facing critical food shortages or are at risk of them in the near future.
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