First, I refuse to concede that these precious children are “child offenders” or “children in conflict with the law.” This is not only because they are innocent until proven guilty but because it is the state that should be on trial, not these innocent souls. A state that denies its children education, healthcare, shelter, sanitation, and hygiene; that detains them for 93 days without adequate food, clothing, or medical attention; and that now imposes an unattainable bail condition of 10 million Naira and two sureties of like sum, conditions that these impoverished yet precious souls cannot meet until January 25, 2025, should be answering for its failures, not casting blame upon its children.
In this post, I choose not to rely on my own words but instead to let Nigeria’s laws, specifically, the Child’s Rights Act, 2003 speak to the grave breaches of the rights of Nigerian children in this matter.
The Detention and Arraignment of 125 Nigerian Children Before Federal High Court, Abuja: Snapshot of Legal and Procedural Breaches-A Press Release
