The Amnesty International has lent its voice to the growing outrage against the Nigerian Government over the horrible treatment of minors allegedly involved in the #EndBadGovernance2024 protests.

The global human rights watchdog took to its verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Friday to urge that the minors be released immediately and unconditionally.

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Biztellers reports that horrifying footage and images swarmed the public domain on Friday, showing over 100 people, mostly minors being arraigned on charges of treasonable felony for taking part in the #EndBadGovernance2024 protests.

Some of the minors, looking malnourished, slumped in the court, forcing the judge to ‘flee’ the scene.

It wrote, “The Nigerian authorities detained these minors unlawfully — putting them through horrifying experiences — for exercising their right to peaceful protest. Government must release them all — immediately and unconditionally.”

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has explained that talks were still ongoing on the sale of refined products to the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).

This was detailed in a statement on Thursday evening by Dangote’s Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina.

Under the subject, ‘IPMAN: Setting the Record Straight’, the statement made to clarify stories being bandied in the media space on the difficulties being experienced by IPMAN member on purchasing products from Dangote.

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Chiejina wrote, “The Dangote Petroleum Refinery wishes to clarify that it has not received any payments from the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to purchase refined petroleum products.

“Although discussions are ongoing with IPMAN, it is misleading to suggest that they (IPMAN Members) are experiencing difficulties loading refined products from our Petroleum Refinery, as we currently have no direct business dealings with them. “Consequently, we cannot be held responsible for any payments made to other entities.

“The payment in mention has been made through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and not us. In the same vein, NNPCL has neither approved, nor authorised us to release our Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to IPMAN.

“We would like to emphasise that we can meet the nation’s demand for all petroleum products, including petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel. At present, we can load 2,900 trucks per day and we have also been evacuating petroleum products by sea. We advise IPMAN to register with us and make direct payment as we have more than enough petroleum products to satisfy the needs of their members.

“Furthermore, we believe it is instructive for all stakeholders to refrain from making unfounded statements in the media, as that could undermine the economic re-engineering efforts of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Conducting business through public speculation is counterproductive and unpatriotic.

“In the interest of our country, we encourage all stakeholders to collaborate and heed the advice of President Tinubu, while promoting a unified approach, rather than engaging in media conflicts and needless propaganda.”

The Rivers State government has denied a story about her reaction to an obnoxious court ruling baring the Federal Government from releasing her monthly allocations by shutting Nigeria’s Oil production facilities within her territory.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday in Port Harcourt under the signature of Hon. Commissioner for Information and Communications, Rivers State, Warisenibo Joe Johnson.

Recall that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop disbursing Federal Allocations to Rivers State until the issue of proper passage of the 2024 budget is resolved.

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However, Johnson vehemently denied what he described as “spurious news item circulating on social media”.

Under the subject ‘Re: Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara Shuts Down NNPCL’, he maintained that “The report was not only false, but a concocted propaganda from the imagination of the author and enemies of the State.”

The statement reads, “The attention of Rivers State Government has been drawn to a spurious news item circulating on social media on “Gov. Siminalayi Fubara shutting down NNPCL and all oil companies in Rivers State”.

“The report was not only false, but a concocted propaganda from the imagination of the author and enemies of the State. The story was also circulated by an inconsequential and unverified medium.

“Governor Siminalayi Fubara is committed to the rule of law and does not rely on unconventional and crude approaches to respond to matters of governance.

“We therefore enjoin Rivers people and well-meaning Nigerians to discountenance the spurious and fake report as Governor Fubara at no time contemplated and/or directed such needless order of shutting down the economy for any reason.”