Peter Obi Condemns Nigerian Govt Over Arraignment of Minors, Calls It Disturbing

Peter Obi criticizes the Nigerian government, labeling the recent arraignment of minors as “disturbing and condemnable,” and calls for fair treatment of youth.

Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration for prosecuting minors involved in the recent EndBadGovernance protest.

He urged the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, along with the Police, DSS, and National Human Rights Commission, to conduct a thorough investigation into the inhumane treatment of minors to prevent such incidents in future.

According to OBASANJONEWS, 76 individuals were brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday for their involvement in the recent EndBadGovernance protest.

According to OBASANJONEWS, one of the minors scheduled for arraignment collapsed before the trial began.

In a post on his X handle on Friday, Obi stated that many current government officials exploited the Constitution by posing as advocates of good governance when they were in opposition.

He stated, “I recently watched the disturbing and condemnable footage in a widely shared video. It shows 124 protesters—including minors—appearing in court today as part of efforts to secure their fundamental rights.”

The video depicts minors, with some so weak they could barely stand and others fainting from exhaustion and lack of nourishment. These children looked visibly malnourished—a condition that should deeply concern every citizen in our nation. Their appearance suggests poor treatment while under the custody of Nigeria’s federal government. The alleged offense against these suspects, including minors, was protesting against bad governance that directly affected their livelihoods—an act protected by our constitution under a democratic regime.

Interestingly, many of today’s government officials once utilized this aspect of the Constitution to advocate for good governance while they were in opposition. Furthermore, our societal values assert that suspects deserve dignity as human beings even when placed in correctional facilities. We should all be concerned about situations like these because we are members of a global community where respecting human dignity is essential.

I would like to express my gratitude to the presiding lordship for halting the trial and preventing further embarrassment for our nation on a global stage as a democracy. I urge relevant authorities, particularly the Minister of Justice, Attorney General of the Federation, Police, DSS, and National Human Rights Commission, to conduct thorough investigations into this inhumane treatment of minors to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.