Several young protesters, aged 14 to 17, have described harsh conditions they endured while in custody following their arrests during August’s #EndBadGovernance protests.
Detained for nearly three months, the minors spoke to reporters upon their release earlier this week, revealing shocking details of deprivation, neglect, and confinement with hardened criminals.
The arrests, made during a nationwide protest against hardship in Nigeria, led to charges against 76 individuals, including 32 minors.
The charges brought by the Inspector-General of Police accused them of treason and inciting mutiny, claiming they aimed to destabilize Nigeria by calling for military intervention.
Witnesses in court described the minors as visibly malnourished, with four collapsing during their initial hearing before Justice Obiora Egwuatu in Abuja.
Public outrage grew as news of their condition spread. Civil rights organizations condemned the government and police for mistreating the detained youth.
In response, President Bola Tinubu intervened on humanitarian grounds, ordering their release and an investigation into possible misconduct by law enforcement officials involved in the detentions. The charges were subsequently dropped by an Abuja court.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, in handing over the minors to officials from Kano and Kaduna, emphasized the release as an opportunity for the youths’ personal reform, despite accusations against them.
On returning to their home states, the minors detailed their experiences in custody to PUNCH, describing severe neglect and lack of adequate food.
One detainee, 15-year-old Umar Ali, said they were often left without food for days. “We saw hell; we suffered a lot. We sometimes stayed for three days without food, and even when they gave us food, it was always not enough,” he told PUNCH. Ali, who denied any involvement in the protests, claimed he was simply on his way to the market to work.
Another minor, Ibrahim Aliyu Musa, shared that they were detained alongside criminals, often in complete darkness and deprived of natural light. This lack of sunlight impacted their vision during trial, some said, causing difficulty seeing in court.
“We hardly saw sunlight in the place where we were kept, hence the reason why some of us could not see very well when we were brought to the court,” he said.
“I was among those that were kept in the same place with hardened criminals and we sometimes spent a number of days without food.
“The food was nothing to write home about, they were inadequate and tasteless. They served us beans in the morning, rice at lunch time and Gabza for dinner. Gabza is normally prepared for inmates due to their large number. So, we had to eat Gabza so as to keep body and soul moving,” Musa added.
