By Efe Onodjae

Condemnation, on Friday, trailed videos of minors arraigned by the Nigerian Police Force for participating in the recent EndBadGovernance protests across the country surface online.

Vanguard reports that 76 individuals were arraigned before the court on Friday of which one of the minors reportedly collapsed before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The minors had allegedly spent over 80 days in police custody.

Netizens, along with human rights activists have taken to their various social media handles to accuse the Federal Government of being merciless, wicked, and self-centered.

A Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Delta State, Billy Egbe, wrote on his Facebook page, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release the minors. He said, “Tinubu should release these children. What’s this?

“How can a leader be so merciless, wicked, and self-centered?

“Someone who led a worse protest against Jonathan in 2012 is now arraigning children for allegedly participating in a protest.

“This is an emotional sight, and Nigerians should rise to the occasion to defend these children. Who arraigns children for participating in a protest?”

Renowned human rights lawyer Festus Ogun condemned the act, calling the Bola Tinubu administration’s actions a gross violation of human rights.

He stated, “It is a crying shame that Nigerian authorities have decided to charge poor, homeless, malnourished, and out-of-school children for participating in the #EndBadGovernance protest. This mirrors a society whose soul is lost.

“Obviously malnourished, the children slumped on Friday morning in open court, as the Nigerian authorities deliberately denied them food after keeping them in unjust detention for months. How despicable is it that little children are charged with treason?

“The persecution of children by the Bola Tinubu administration is unacceptable and constitutes a gross violation of human rights.

“There should not be an arraignment of these little ones in the first place. These children should be enrolled in school and provided with basic amenities. The criminals in power are the ones who should be behind bars—not these innocent kids.

“For everyone involved in this horrific experience, let them be reminded that the verdict of history beckons!”