₦airaland Forum

ABUJA, NIGERIA — 

Twenty-nine children could be facing the death penalty in Nigeria after they were arraigned Friday for participating in a protest of the country's record cost-of-living crisis. Four of them collapsed in court due to exhaustion before they could enter a plea.

A total of 76 protesters were charged with 10 felony counts, including treason, destruction of property, public disturbance and mutiny, according to the charge sheet seen by The Associated Press.

According to the charge sheet, the minors ranged in age from 14 to 17 years old.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has led to several mass protests in recent months. In August, at least 20 people were shot dead and hundreds more were arrested at a protest demanding better opportunities and jobs for young people.

The death sentence was introduced in the 1970s in Nigeria, but there have been no executions in the country since 2016.

Akintayo Balogun, a private lawyer based in Abuja, said the Child Rights Act does not allow any child to be subject to criminal proceedings and sentenced to death.

"So, taking minors before a federal high court is wrong ... except if the government is able to prove that the boys are all above 19 years," Balogun said.

The court eventually granted $5,900 bail to each of the defendants and imposed stringent conditions they are yet to meet, Marshal Abubakar, counsel to some of the boys, said.

"A country that has a duty to educate its children will decide to punish those children. These children have been in detention for 90 days without food," Abubakar said.

Yemi Adamolekun, executive director of Enough is Enough, a civil society organization promoting good governance in Nigeria, said authorities have no business prosecuting children.

"The chief justice of Nigeria should be ashamed, she is a woman and a mother," Adamolekun said.

Despite being one of the top crude oil producers in Africa, Nigeria remains one of the world's poorest countries. Chronic corruption means the lifestyle of its public officials rarely mirrors that of the general population. Medical professionals often strike to protest meager wages.

The country's politicians and lawmakers, often accused of corruption, are some of the best paid in Africa. Even the president's wife — her office is nowhere in the constitution — is entitled to SUVs and other luxuries funded by taxpayers.

Nigeria's population of over 210 million people — the continent's largest — is also among the hungriest in the world and its government has struggled to create jobs. The inflation rate is also at a 28-year high, and the local naira currency is at record lows against the dollar.

On Thursday, Nigeria was classified as a "hotspot of very high concern," in a report from United Nations' food agencies, as large numbers of people are facing or are projected to face critical levels of acute food insecurity in the West African country.

GOFRONT:
.......And a drug pusher has conveniently bought his way to the Seat of Power in Aso rock villa. No Law talk about sentence him to death penalty due to his affairs in drug dealing.....

But an ordinary street child who protest cos of hardship is being given a death sentence...

Life no just wan balance at all even tho you place life on an altar

Justnation:
Absolutely wicked to drag those kids to court for asking for a better condition of living in Nigeria

justtoodark:
lets drop the bullcrap already....to be askin for military to take over after your candidate lost is miserable....

shivisee:
ibos can cry from now till erternity,we can see your hypocrisy,peter pandora criminal obi can never smell presidency!

simpleseyi:
Cry well well. JAGABAN is on the beat, he is beating all miscreants mercilessly

Emu4life:
As much as I'm not a Fan of Tinubu, any sensible person can see through the hypocrisy of Western media.
Just take a look at this News and it's headline. Just look at how the Pale Pig in reporting this successfully turned Nigeria to what his fore father's did to Black slaves in the 18th Century.

If this news and it's headline is true, the Federal Government needs to ban VOA from Nigeria and block all their content. They are purveyors of Fake news

LegendHero:
Lol, even the yabaleft editor self go dey laugh at the useless headline.

If una like, go contract BBC dey write nonsense, Tinubu will win 2027 election and retire to Bourdillon after that.

Una do more than this towards 2023 election.

LegendHero:
Lol, even the yabaleft editor self go dey laugh at the useless headline.

If una like, go contract BBC dey write nonsense, Tinubu will win 2027 election and retire to Bourdillon after that.

Una do more than this towards 2023 election.

GOFRONT:
.......And a drug pusher has conveniently bought his way to the Seat of Power in Aso rock villa. No Law talk about sentence him to death penalty due to his affairs in drug dealing.....

But an ordinary street child who protest cos of hardship is being given a death sentence...

Life no just wan balance at all even tho you place life on an altar

Emu4life:
As much as I'm not a Fan of Tinubu, any sensible person can see through the hypocrisy of Western media.
Just take a look at this News and it's headline. Just look at how the Pale Pig in reporting this successfully turned Nigeria to what his fore father's did to Black slaves in the 18th Century.

If this news and it's headline is true, the Federal Government needs to ban VOA from Nigeria and block all their content. They are purveyors of Fake news

Zulu11zulu:
Tinubu and yeruba government will pay in nearest future.

He said I will start where buhari stop to kill innocent civilians, from igbo youths to Northern children, and papard yeruba how many yeruba did you hear die in this government.