The Executive Director Women Aid Collective, Prof. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo (SAN), has described as a shame of nation for Nigerian authorities to starve children facing charges of mutiny and treasonable felonies.
Ezeilo, a six-year United Nations Special Rapporteur on Trafficking persons in Africa and former Dean Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria Nsukka, stated this while reacting to the last Friday’s arraignment of 32 malnourished children before an Abuja Federal High Court.
It should be recalled that 67 children who are currently facing charges bordering on treasonable felonies and mutiny were arrested in August for participating in #EndBadGovernance protests, which were meant to highlight the dire economic situation in the country occasioned by policies of the current administration.
Through the orders of Justice Emeka Nwite, the children were incarcerated incarceration in police custody for three months to allow for the so called investigation to concluded.
Meanwhile, the rights activist in statement issued on Sunday even in her X handle, demanded accountability for those who failed to respect extant laws, adding that a prosecutor should know “better and always do the right thing in the temple of justice”.
The incident has significantly undermined Nigeria’s justice system, she said, adding that it represents a clear violation of “state, national, regional, and international legal frameworks” concerning children’s rights and the justice system.
“Children’s rights are human rights, and Nigerian children’s rights must be respected and upheld. Children who are in conflict with the law should be redirected away from the formal judicial process.
“Children who are alleged to have committed crimes must be kept separate from adults in detention facilities. Their privacy and identities should be protected. Detention and trial should only be used as a last resort, and if necessary, a Juvenile Court or Juvenile Judge should handle such proceedings,” she stated.
She, however, insisted that the administration of criminal or the juvenile justice system must ensure a treatment that promotes their sense of dignity and worth, considers their age, and aims at their reintegration into society to assume a constructive role.
“This ugly phenomenon of starving children facing charges of mutiny and treasonable felonies must stop. It shames us as a nation.
“We demand accountability now for those who failed to respect extant laws. A prosecutor should know better and always do the right thing in the temple of justice,” she stated.
