By Divramredje Lawrence Efeturi
In a country that prides itself on its democratic values, Nigeria has reached a breaking point where the very government sworn to protect its people has turned into a monstrous force, oppressing its most vulnerable citizens—its children. This is not a matter of law enforcement. This is not about upholding public order. This is genocide against our youth, carried out through state-sanctioned oppression and hunger, enabled by a corrupt system from the police to the highest judges.
Recent events have exposed this horror. Children, who merely exercised their democratic right to protest against the shocking conditions they face, are now treated like criminals, their only “crime” being participation in a protest. These minors, some not even old enough to understand the weight of the charges laid against them, now face an unthinkable N10 million bail fee simply because they joined hands in calling out a system that is failing them. How can we, as a society, allow this gross miscarriage of justice to continue? Why is a young Nigerian protesting government failure worth N10 million in bail, while a lawmaker who openly threatens lives walks free on a mere N500,000 bond?
These children are not criminals. They are not the enemies of Nigeria. They are the future, desperate for a better life, pushed to the edge by the very administration that should be nurturing them. Yet, the Tinubu government, in an unconscionable display of callousness, has chosen to silence their voices through legal brutality, trampling upon their rights and disregarding their dignity.
To the judiciary presiding over this travesty: remember that these are children, just like your own. For any judge to uphold these charges is to betray the very essence of humanity. A judge who accepts to rule over such inhumanity has failed their duty not only as a judicial authority but as a parent, a guardian, and a Nigerian. This judiciary—our supposedly last bastion of justice—has shown itself to be complicit in this horrifying abuse of power. The entire system, as it stands, seems deserving of nothing less than complete reformation.
To President Tinubu: halt this trial immediately. Withdraw the charges, issue a full public apology to these children and their families, and work to address the legitimate grievances that brought them to the streets. Failing to do so will only deepen the collective wound inflicted upon Nigeria’s children and erode what little faith the nation has left in this administration.
This is not justice. This is oppression. And we, the people of Nigeria, will not stand by as our children are subjected to abuse, trauma, and neglect in the name of “governance”.
This Is NOT Justice: This Is Child Abuse, Genocide, and a Gross Violation of Basic Human Rights!
– Sir Divramredje Lawrence Efeturi, KSJI, ASCIEPUK – a Public Affairs commentator from Delta State.
