The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has criticised the arrest and trial of some minors from the northern part of the country before a Federal High Court in Abuja on allegations of treason and other offences for their participation in the #EndBadGovernance Protests.
The forum in a statement on Sunday described it as a show of shame and a demonstration of needless official high-handedness at its worst.
ACF National Publicity Secretary, Professor Tukur Muhammad- Babahe, said the trial of the minors for their alleged participation in the protests is a strong-arm tactic, reminiscent of strategies employed by authoritarian and intolerant but weak regimes aimed at muscling citizens.
He expressed disappointment in the apparent resort to abandoning court by the trial judge and the unreasonable bail conditions he granted the detainees.
“It was not just the impossible monetary condition but to ask the detainees to provide sureties who must be senior government officials is beyond belief, these being citizens from the lower rungs of society who may never have been to Abuja! Shorn of all niceties or political correctness, the trial simply assaults common sense and it is, in this regard as scandalous and reckless as can be,” the statement read.
The forum also noted that the saga portrays President Bola Tinubu’s Administration in evil light, domestically and internationally and obvious in reportage of the matter in major international news channels.
ACF, therefore, called on the Federal Government to Immediately halt the detention and trial of the arrested citizens; release the “suspects” and return them to their families unharmed.
It also asked the Federal Government to Investigate the circumstances that led to the detention of the so-called suspects for over three months, way beyond the constitutional limits of 24 hours; and extend financial compensation to the detainees for their unnecessary and unjustified detention for over three months and to arrange medical examination, treatment and provide professional, psychological evaluation and counselling to the detainees.
Furthermore, ACF urged the Federal government to Re-evaluate its strategies for processing protests strictly in line with constitutional due processes, principles of good governance and international best practices.