Nigerian President Bola Tinubu ordered the immediate release Monday of some 29 minors detained during anti-government protests in August after their court trial sparked outrage and widespread condemnation.
The protesters faced treason charges punishable by death according to Nigerian law.
But human rights groups saaid recent suppression of protesters is an attempt by authorities to stifle dissent.
Nigeria’s information minister, Mohammed Idris, told reporters that Tinubu ordered the immediate release of all minors arraigned in connection with the anti-government protests in early August.
He said Tinubu also called for a probe of the security operatives involved in their arrest and ordered the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to help rehabilitate the minors.
The children were among 76 protesters who had been detained since early August. They appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, most of them looking frail and sick.
Their arraignment sparked widespread condemnation of the government by human rights groups including Amnesty International.
Amnesty said putting underage protesters on trial shows the government’s disregard for the rule of law, and it called for the minors to be released unconditionally and immediately.
Among the charges they face are treason and attempting to destabilize the government.
Under Nigerian law, treason is punishable by a possible death sentence.
“Any form of trial that has a child as a defendant is illegal, unconstitutional and null and void,” said Marshal Abubakar, a lawyer for the protesters. “We have informed the court through our notice of criminal objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction to try those children.”
Abubaker said the proceedings were a violation of the children’s fundamental human rights.
Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission also criticized the trial, accusing authorities of manipulating state institutions to punish citizens.
In early August, many Nigerians took to the streets to denounce government policies they said had increased the cost of living.
The so-called “Ten Days of Rage” protests aimed to pressure the government to abandon unpopular economic policies. However, security forces cracked down and quelled the demonstrations.
Nigerian police accused the protesters of attempting to foment violence.
Before the minors were ordered to be released, Nigerian police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the protesters were criminally liable even if they were underage.
“Once you’re more than 7 [years old], you can be charged to court,” said Muyiwa Adejobi of the national police. “The only thing is that you need to follow certain procedures to do that. The youngest should be 13. So, we have charged them to court on behalf of the federal government of Nigeria, because these are those who actually leveraged on the protests, they hijacked the protests, and they’re so violent.”
Last year, Tinubu introduced several reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies, which he says will boost Nigeria’s economy.
But citizens facing higher living costs have been pushing back against the policies and have blamed the government for their hardship.
Abubakar said the government wants to curb demonstrations of any kind.
“Over the months this government has shown that they are interested in curtailing the civic space and denying Nigerians of their fundamental human rights to dissent and to demand for a better life for themselves,” Abubakar said.
