From Our Correspondent
A UK-based charity, Ibironke Adeagbo Foundation (IA-F) has pleaded with the Federal Government to show restraint in the case of some minors arraigned for alleged an anti-government protest in August.
TheNewsZenith reports that Mrs Ibironke Adeagbo, founder of the foundation, made the appeal on Sunday in Abuja.
Adeagbo was reacting to the public outcry over the arraignment of the minors at a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday.
The minors are among 76 people facing charges for participating in the #EndBadGovernance protests in some cities in Northern Nigeria on Aug. 2.
TheNewsZenith gathered that four of minors collapsed in court during their arraignment.
“IA-Foundation is deeply concerned about the arrest and prolonged detention of 76 individuals, including 27 minors, who allegedly participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest,’’ Adeagbo stated.
The Foundation has been campaigning for Nigeria’s huge army of out-of-school children to be given opportunities to return to classrooms.
Citing reports, Adeagbo said that people arrested during the protests had been held for over 90 days without appropriate consideration for their age and wellbeing.
“We urge the government to immediately conduct dental age assessments on all the detained children to determine their ages.
“If the detainees are truly under 18, then transfer them to juvenile correctional facilities as stipulated by law.
“Furthermore, agency detaining them should grant them access to education while in detention as required by Section 250 of the Child Rights Act,’’ she argued.
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Adeagbo pointed out that the Act explicitly mandates that detained children should have unrestricted access to their right to education.
“It is apparent from their malnourished condition, that the children didn’t have basic needs during their detention,’’ she noted.
One of the root causes of their participating in the protest, according to her, is due to a lack of access to education.
This made them vulnerable and available to participate in the protests.
“We urge government to provide immediate educational opportunities to those who are out-of-school in various states of the federation.
“These children deserve a fair chance to a better future.
“Denying them education will further perpetuate the circle of disadvantages and vulnerabilities facing them.’’
TheNewsZenith reports that Adeagbo founded IA-Foundation on Jan. 30, 2019.
Its focus is to ginger the government and individuals to find a lasting solution to the menace of out-of-school children.
Africa’s most populous nation currently has an army of out-of-school children, standing at about 18.3 million. This is the highest in the world, according to estimates by UN agencies.
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