The President General of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, Yerima Shettima, has condemned the prolonged detention and trial of children under the age of 18, who participated in the #End Bad Governance protest.
The minors are reportedly held for over 90 days and now face court arraignments for alleged treason.
Shettima described the government response as “callous and cruel” likening it to actions reminiscent of a military regime.
He argued that the malnourished appearance of the children only highlights the urgency of their demand, stressing that the government should be addressing the root cause of the protest, hunger and hardship instead of punishing young Nigerians.
He said, “This is a national embarrassment, sending a troubling message to the international community. These are our children who should be in school, building a future for our country, not languishing in detention for peacefully voicing their struggles.”
Shettima called on the Federal Government to focus its efforts on combating the nation’s hunger crisis rather than using minors as scapegoats.
