Vice- President Kashim Shettima has implored the 119 released minors to strive to be responsible citizens as they unite with their families in Kano and Kaduna States.
Shettima made the call while handing over the 119 released minors to Gov. Abba Yusuf of Kano and Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna, at the auditorium of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the vice-president handed over 73 released suspected minors to Yusuf of Kano and 39 to Sani.
NAN reports that additional three minors from Kano were earlier released and they wre currently with their parents, while additional four minors from Kaduna were also released earlier.
Shettima described the event as solemn which called for sober reflection and ” for us to look inwards and find solutions to our challenges.
” The President and Commander in Chief of the Armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu instructed the release of the suspect on humanitarian grounds.
” Despite compelling and incontrovertible digital video and photographic evidence of the perpetrators in action. Some of which were uploaded by the actors themselves.
” Regarding this evidence, the president is the father of the nation to give these young men another chance at becoming responsible citizens who will make a positive impact, in a drive for a better Nigeria.”
The vice-president admonished the minors not to allow themselves to be used to perpetrate violence and destroy public and private property.
According to him, over N300 billion was lost in the protests, consisting mainly of private property and loss of business.
He said, ” I will urge you, I will advise you, you are our children to use the opportunity of the President’s magnanimous gesture in ensuring that you overcome and become responsible citizens who will contribute to the growth of the society.”
Shettima also urged their Governors and elected representatives across political divides to ensure that the children were rehabilitated and reintegrated to the fabric of their communities.
He thanked Tinubu for proving to the world that he was a father of the nation.
” We want to thank the President on behalf of our governors, on behalf of our members of the National Assembly for his magnanimity in granting pardon to these young children.
”Not that they were exonerated from their crime is out of his own magnanimity. Most of the instigators of the crime and their children were not involved,” he said.
Shettima also appreciated the governors of Kano and Kaduna for rushing down from their states to take custody of the children.
On his part, Yusuf assured that under his watch, protests that could lead to the destruction of private and public properties would never happen again.
He extended the appreciation of the Kano State Government and the good people of the state to Tinubu for seeing to the freedom of the minor children.
” What the President did will continue to be in our mind. The President has shown his compassion. He has shown his humility.
”I want to assure Mr. President that by the grace of Allah that kind of protest will never ever happen in Kano so long as we are in leadership,” he said.
Also, Sani assured that the children would be enrolled in school and training on various skills acquisitions.
He said, .” We thank the President for granting pardon to our children. Of course we know they are children of everyone.
”Looking at their age and what they went through. I have no doubt in my mind that a lots of people must be happy for the fact that today they are free.”
Also, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said the ministry has profiled and examined all of them medically and they were fit to be reunited with their parents.
The Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has commended President Bola Tinubu for responding to public calls and releasing 76 detained minors arrested following the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protest.
In a statement issued by the governor’s spokesman, Sanusi DawakinTofa, he expressed his deep appreciation for Tinubu’s compassion, describing it as a magnanimous gesture toward the youth of Kano State.
He stated this after receiving the teenagers at the Presidential Villa.
Yusuf thanked President Tinubu for his understanding and for granting the minors a second chance.
“I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his compassion in responding to the appeals from various stakeholders within and outside Nigeria.
“Mr President has demonstrated remarkable empathy and commitment to justice, and we truly appreciate his gesture,” Yusuf said.
The 76 minors, who had been detained in connection with the August protests, will be flown back to Kano where they will undergo a medical evaluation and receive necessary treatment before being reunited with their families.
He assured that the children would be reintegrated into society through enrollment in local schools, providing them with opportunities to rebuild their lives and realize their full potential.
“In light of the gravity of the charges against them, we recognize the importance of offering these children a second chance.”
“While their actions were regrettable, their status as minors should not deny them the opportunity to rehabilitate and contribute positively to society,” Yusuf was quoted as saying in the statement.
A team of medical professionals has been designated to assess the physical and mental health of the released minors.
Following this, they will be reunited with their families and offered continued support to ensure they can live normal productive lives.
Vice President Kashim Shettima emphasised that Tinubu’s decision to pardon the teenagers was driven by humanitarian concerns.
“A total of 119 teenagers were detained in relation to the protests that caused significant financial loss, including over N13 billion. Of these, 76 were from Kano, and 73 have now been handed over to Governor Yusuf.
Three minors have already been reunited with their families while 39 others from Kaduna State have been handed over to Governor Uba Sani,” the Vice President explained.
Yusuf reassured that his administration would continue to monitor the well-being of the released minors and provide the necessary support to ensure their successful reintegration into society.
