On November 2nd, 76 protestors in Nigeria were charged with 10 felony counts, including treason. These protestors were fighting against the country’s cost-of-living. Ever since the late 1970s, Nigeria has gone through a major economic crisis. The crisis only got worse during the Ukrainian war, as fuel costs spiked. Depending on fuel and oil for its economy and foreign exchange, Nigeria’s rate of inflation increased to 30% while the poverty rate increased to 40%. The government took out loans from organizations like the IMF and World Bank, ranging up to $3.4 billion during COVID times. To return these loans, the bank printed money, decreasing the worth of Nigerian currency (naira) and promoting inflation.
In recent months, these economic problems led to massive protests. In August this year, 22 people were killed by Nigerian security forces, and hundreds were arrested when they demanded better opportunities and jobs for the youth. One protester was 14, while another was 16.
This time, the protesters ranged from 14-17 years old. The government had planned to execute them, and the bail fee was 10 million naira, equating to $5,900. However, this goes against the Child Rights Act in which any child can not be sentenced to death, or trialed in a federal high court. When first seen in court, children looked malnourished, while some had even fainted from exhaustion.
Two sons of Ado Abdullahi were among the detained children. They were said to have never participated in the protests and were only running errands. However, they were also arrested and taken to Nigeria’s capital for trial. Worried sick for his children, Ado could only pray for their conditions. Iklilu Sani is another parent whose son Habidu was retrieving a motorcycle from a repair shop, when he was also detained by the police forces. Many other children face similar conditions. In addition, there has been little governmental transparency or news of the children’s condition. This sparked nation outrage not only among other parents of the children, but citizens concerned over growing corruption and loss of human rights. Nigeria is Africa’s most populated country, and losing human rights there could affect other countries nearby affected by its influence.
To combat these concerns, activists put more and more pressure onto President Bola Tinubu. Faced with growing questions of his legitimacy, the President ordered the release of the children on November 4th. The children were later seen waving to cameras after their release in the capital. Then, President Tinubu ordered an investigation of the law enforcement agents who were involved in the arrest and prosecution. Although the police had defended their actions earlier, they were forced to investigate claims of mistreatment. There have been no updates about the ongoing investigation yet.
Although this issue has been solved, this begs the question about how else we will combat growing corruption. How many similar instances went unchecked? Through Nigeria’s journey to democratization and liberalization, much more will have to be done. This is only one step of the journey, as Nigerian officers still have a reputation of brutality against protestors. If the government does not listen to its citizens, then there will be more protests and instability within the country. Activists urge the government to check in on the children’s welfare and provide them educational support and compensation.
Written by Claire Liu
