Ezekwesili Urges Tinubu To Call Off Prosecution, Order Release Of Detained Juvenile Protesters

Following the arraignment of 79 #EndBadGovernance protesters at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, where five minors among them reportedly slumped, former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili has written an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to immediately stop the prosecution of the minors. The protesters, majority of them underaged children, were arrested during the August #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria and have been standing trial for alleged treasonable felony and attempt to overthrow the Tinubu’s government. When they were arraigned on Friday, five of the kids slumped, causing pandemonium as lawyers tried to rescusitate them. Worried about the situation, Ezekwesili took to her X handle @obyezeks, to call out Tinubu on the prosecution of the protesters. Captioned ‘LETTER TO @officialABAT’, Ezekwesili said: “Here is the sordid evidence of the @NigeriaGov punishing your citizens for daring to tell you the truth of #BadGovernance by your administration. “No one can ever solve a Problem they deny and refuse to own. No one. Agitation to #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria is shared by overwhelming majority of your citizens. For real. “How many of your Citizens can you take to court like done to these minors? How many of your Citizens can you detain and deprive of their freedoms like done to these minors? “Hear me. No ruler has ever won against their people forever. Check history. Note that I wrote ruler and not leader. “The repressive class of politicians in Nigeria are not leaders. You all have serially failed the “test of leadership” because you act as wicked rulers who feel entitled to the “publicly-funded luxurious life” while repressing and pauperizing the citizens. “Second, @officialABAT, the evident corrupted capture of our Judiciary by the @NigeriaGov is playing out daily on Candid Camera before the eyes of the world. The trial of these minors is one of many examples these days. “Stop the wicked prosecution of these minors immediately and send the children back to their parents and guardians. “Next, ensure that they are compensated for the physical, mental, emotional and overall psychological damage you have done to them by abusing the powers of the Nigerian State and grossly violating their constitutional rights. “When those children came out to protest asking you to #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, they were telling you the “Truth and nothing but the Truth”. “I hope you start listening to what majority of your Citizens especially these children are telling you daily: “Ebi npawa” , “we are hungry”. Nothing lasts forever. Today is not Forever.”

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Tayo Adelaja

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