Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, is set to precide over an elaborate handover ceremony to transfer custody of malnourished minors detained over #EndBadGovernance protests to their respective state governors from the northern region, this is according to Sahara Reporters.
This move comes three months after the children were taken into custody under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
SaharaReporters exclusively learnt on Monday night that the handover is scheduled to take place on Tuesday.
The newspaper earlier on Monday night reported that the detainees would be released at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday.
It was exclusively reported that the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), had completed the necessary paperwork to release all those detained over #EndBadGovernance protests, including minors charged with treason and facing the death penalty.
Earlier on Monday, President Bola Tinubu ordered the release of the underage children arraigned before an Abuja Federal High Court on Friday, November 1, following national and international outrage and condemnation.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced the development to State House correspondents during an emergency briefing at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
“The Vice President is to receive them after they leave court tomorrow (Tuesday) and hand each everyone of them back to their state governors from the north at an ‘elaborate’ ceremony,” a source in the Presidency told SaharaReporters.
“The scandal following the appearance of and charges filed against the malnourished children last week became an international scandal for the Tinubu regime,” the source added.
SaharaReporters had reported that following their rejection at Kuje Prison, the malnourished minors were detained by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in a facility meant for adults at the Intelligence Response Team unit in the Apo area of the Federal Capital Territory.
The kids who were granted bail on stringent terms by Justice Obiora Egwuatu were 24 in number but about 20 of them had been hospitalised at an undisclosed hospital, sources told SaharaReporters on Friday night.
On Tuesday, Idris said, “The President has ordered the immediate release of all the minors who have been arrested by the Nigeria Police without prejudice to whatever legal processes they are undergoing. He has directed that they be released immediately.
“Secondly, the President has also directed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to immediately attend to the welfare of these minors, and to ensure their smooth reunion with their parents or guardians wherever they are in the country.
“Thirdly, the President has directed that an administrative committee will be set up immediately, to be headed by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, to examine all issues surrounding the arrest, detention, treatment, and finally, the release of these young minors.
“Fourthly, the President has also directed that all law enforcement agents involved in the arrest and the legal processes will be investigated, and if any infractions are found to have been committed by any official of Government, whether from a law enforcement agency or another appropriate authority, disciplinary action will be taken against him or her.”
The directive followed an uproar over the trial of the detainees arraigned on Friday and charged with 10 felony counts, including treason, destruction of property, public disturbance, and mutiny.
Meanwhile, at least four of the minors slumped inside the courtroom and were rushed to the hospital on Friday.
