29 Children Face Death Penalty Over Nigeria Protests
Twenty-nine Nigerian children face the death penalty after they were charged on November 29 for taking part in a protest against the country's record decline in living standards. Four of the children collapsed in court from exhaustion before they could make statements, reports CNN.
Photo: Segun Bankole | Dreamstime.com
A total of 76 protesters were charged with serious crimes, including treason, destruction of property, disturbing the peace and sedition.
According to the indictment, the detained minors were between 14 and 17 years old.
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The catastrophic decline in living standards has led to several mass protests in Nigeria in recent months. At least 20 people were shot dead and hundreds arrested at one protest in August. Demonstrators were demanding better living conditions and jobs for young people.
The death penalty was introduced in Nigeria in the 1970s, but the country has not carried it out since 2016.
Akintayo Balogun, a private lawyer in Abuja, said the Child Rights Act does not allow any child to be prosecuted and sentenced to death.
"That's why it's wrong to bring minors to federal court from the start. The defendants must be over 19 years old," Balogun said.
The court eventually granted each of the accused bail of 10 million naira ($5900) and imposed other strict restrictions, said Marshal Abubakar, a lawyer for some of the boys.
"A country that is obliged to educate its children has decided to punish them. These children have been detained for 90 days without food," Abubakar noted.
Yemi Adamolekun, executive director of Enough is Enough, a civil rights organization, said authorities had no right to target children.
"The Chief Justice of Nigeria should be ashamed because she is a woman and a mother," Adamolekun stressed.
Although Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest crude oil producers, it remains one of the world’s poorest countries. Corruption creates a wealth gap between civil servants and the general population. The country’s politicians and legislators, often accused of corruption, are among the highest paid in Africa. Even the president’s wife (her position is not listed anywhere in the constitution) is entitled to SUVs and other taxpayer-funded luxuries.
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Nigeria has one of the world's hungriest populations of more than 210 million. The country is short of jobs. Inflation has reached a 28-year high and the local currency, the naira, has fallen to a record low against the U.S. dollar.
Nigeria was identified as a hotspot in a report by UN food agencies on October 31, with large numbers of people facing or expected to face critical food insecurity.
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