Several underage protesters detained since August over #EndBadGovernance protests collapsed Friday morning inside the Federal High Court in Abuja during their arraignment. The minors, held by the Nigeria Police Force, were brought to court from various detention centers, including the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) unit.
The minors have reportedly endured poor detention conditions, which likely contributed to their collapse during the hearing. Justice Emeka Nwite had previously granted an ex-parte application by the police, allowing for the detention of the protesters for 60 days to conclude an investigation alleging that they attempted to overthrow President Tinubu’s government.
The arraignment included 13 minors transported from IRT cells, with others brought from different police divisions across Abuja. Following the hearing, rights groups renewed calls for the immediate and unconditional release of 76 detained protesters, 32 of whom are minors. These groups argue that the extended detention and alleged mistreatment violate the children’s rights and have intensified their demands for justice in the #EndBadGovernance movement.