NEWS
BREAKING: Sen Kingibe Weeps Over Arraignment Of Minors In Adult Court
The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Ireti Kingibe, has wept openly that Nigeria has ‘become a nation that turns against its own children’.
The senator was reacting to the “arraignment of over 100 young boys, aged between 10 and 16, who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest,” in an adult court, against established legal standards.
She took to her verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Saturday, to shed tears and register her strong disappointment with all the parties involved in the shameful and illegal act.
ALSO READ: #EndBadGovernance2024: Atiku Decries Dehumanisation Of Minors
According to Sen Kingibe “How can a government tasked with protecting its citizens justify holding minors in correctional centers, treating their peaceful protest as a criminal offense?”
On the law enforcement agencies breaching the law, Sen Kingibe pointed out that, “According to Nigeria’s Criminal Procedure Act (CPA), minors between the ages of 1 and 17 should never be arraigned in adult criminal courts but instead in juvenile courts, which have exclusive jurisdiction over such cases. Yet, these minors were held in maximum correctional centers for over 85 days before being charged with treason.”
She expressed her firm position that all relevant stakeholders must “urgently unite to secure the immediate and unconditional release of these minors.”
Sen Kingibe wrote, “As the Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, I condemn in the strongest terms the recent arraignment of over 100 young boys, aged between 10 and 16, who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest. These minors, who bravely voiced their grievances against the unbearable hardship and hunger ravaging our land, are now being charged with treason — an offense that, if found guilty, carries the death penalty.
“When did we become a nation that turns against its own children — our very hope for tomorrow? When did we lose our compassion and humanity to the extent that we humiliate, arrest, and drag young children into court for the “crime” of speaking out? This shameful prosecution of our youth is not only unjust — it is a betrayal of our humanity and an assault on our future. How can we stand idly by as the dreams of our children are crushed under the weight of oppression? This must end.
“This is utterly disgraceful, and everyone involved should feel ashamed. We owe our citizens, particularly our children, not just protection from external threats but also from unjust treatment within. Children deserve quality education, better healthcare, and protection from domestic violence and abuse, not brutal treatment for exercising their constitutional rights. According to Nigeria’s Criminal Procedure Act (CPA), minors between the ages of 1 and 17 should never be arraigned in adult criminal courts but instead in juvenile courts, which have exclusive jurisdiction over such cases. Yet, these minors were held in maximum correctional centers for over 85 days before being charged with treason.
“How have we, as leaders, stooped so low? Instead of addressing the root causes of their protest, we prosecute those who cry out against them. How can a government tasked with protecting its citizens justify holding minors in correctional centers, treating their peaceful protest as a criminal offense? When did peaceful protest — a fundamental right of citizens — become a crime in Nigeria?
“Numerous videos circulating on social media and news platforms show malnourished children with visible collarbones, countable ribs, fainting, crying, hungry, sick, and, most horrifically, being manhandled. This has turned us into an international embarrassment. If we cannot protect our own citizens, how can we expect to safeguard foreign investors whom we are actively trying to attract to our country?
“This is not only condemnable but an absolute disgrace, and it cannot stand. I demand that every relevant authority — the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, and the Chief Justice of the Federation — as well as the Human Rights Commission and all human rights lawyers, urgently unite to secure the immediate and unconditional release of these minors. I also call upon all mothers and women across the nation to rise in protest against this deplorable treatment of our children. This is not the Nigeria we dreamed of; we cannot allow our future to be sacrificed in silence.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will hold his first Presidential Media Chat tonight, December 23, at 9 p.m.
The landmark event, announced by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, will be broadcast live on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN).
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All other television and radio stations have been invited to join the simulcast, ensuring nationwide access.
This highly anticipated media engagement offers an opportunity for President Tinubu to address key national issues, outline his administration’s achievements, and shed light on policies shaping the future of the nation.
Nigerians are encouraged to tune in to stay informed about the government’s vision and policies for the nation.
The Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD-FCTA), has sounded an alarm over an impending healthcare crisis, issuing a 14-day ultimatum to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
The doctors have threatened a “deadliest shutdown” of hospital operations if their welfare demands remain unresolved.
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Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, ARD-FCTA President, Dr. George Ebong, highlighted the dire state of doctors’ welfare, despite acknowledging the minister’s achievements in infrastructural development.
He said, “We appreciate the minister for his infrastructural development in the FCT since his emergence. But doctors are an abandoned project. While he fixes infrastructural abandoned projects, we are the human abandoned projects. We believe the minister can deal with the challenge.”
List of Demands
The doctors are calling for immediate action on the following issues:
- Payment of six months’ salary arrears owed to members employed in 2023.
- Release of the 2024 Medical Residency Training Fund.
- Reduction of the bonding policy from six years to two.
- Implementation of skipping allowances for 2023 intakes and issuance of related letters.
- Immediate payment of 2024 accoutrement allowances.
- Clearance of 13 months’ hazard allowance arrears.
- Conversion of ARD Post 2 members to consultants.
- Recruitment of healthcare workers to address manpower shortages.
The association had earlier issued a 21-day ultimatum at its Annual General Meeting, with just 14 days now remaining for the minister to meet their demands.
Dr. Ebong warned that failure to act would lead to a complete shutdown of medical services in the FCT, describing the potential strike as “the deadliest shutdown.”
Ebong said, “This injustice is alien to the FCT; if allowed to persist, the nation’s health sector will collapse. We do not want the deadliest shutdown, but if no action is taken, we will have no choice. The health of this nation is at stake, and the minister must act without delay.”
The association called on Wike to urgently address their grievances, emphasizing that the welfare of medical professionals is vital for the sustainability of healthcare delivery in the FCT and beyond.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has reduced the pump price of petrol at its retail outlets in Abuja to N965 per litre, down from N1,030 per litre.
The new pricing, confirmed at NNPC stations in the Central Area and Nyanya suburbs of the Federal Capital Territory, reflects intensified competition in the downstream petroleum market, particularly with the entry of products from the Dangote Refinery.
This is the second price cut by NNPC in two weeks, following a previous reduction from N1,060 to N1,030 per litre.
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Motorists have expressed cautious optimism over the adjustment, describing it as a step in the right direction but calling for further reductions.
“I noticed the new price yesterday,” said Adamu Shuaibu, a commercial driver on the Nyanya-Zuba route.
“The government is trying, but they should do more. The price should return to N530 per litre so that the cost of other goods can decrease too.”
Similarly, Taofeek Adetunji, a private car owner, attributed the price reduction to President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms and expressed hope for sustained improvements.
“When the President promised his reforms would yield results, many doubted him. But now you can see it. We are optimistic that prices will keep dropping. Petrol is vital to the economy, and this reduction will soon reflect in the cost of goods and services,” Adetunji said.
Motorists have urged the Federal Government to continue its efforts to make petrol more affordable, emphasizing its significance to the nation’s economy and the cost of living.
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