A former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Trafficking, Professor Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, SAN, has condemned the Nigerian government’s decision to file charges against minors over the #EndBadGovernance protests.
Ezeilo described the development as an ugly phenomenon, which she stressed is unacceptable.
Ezeilo stated that children’s rights are human rights, and that Nigerian children’s rights must be respected and upheld.
The statement comes amid the controversy surrounding the arraignment of the malnourished #EndBadGovernance protesters.
DAILY POST reported the uproar and public outcry that greeted the arraignment of protesters, mostly minors, who participated during the recent #EndBadGovernance protest.
Ezeilo, also a former Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, maintained that “the administration of criminal or the juvenile justice system must ensure a treatment that promotes children’s sense of dignity and worth, considers their age, and aims at their reintegration into society to assume a constructive role”.
In a post on her X handle on Sunday, Ezeilo stated that recent events had significantly undermined the nation’s justice system.
She stressed that it represents a clear violation of state, national, regional, and international legal frameworks concerning children’s rights and the justice system.
The statement reads: “Children who are in conflict with the law should be redirected away from the formal judicial process. Recent events have significantly undermined our justice system, representing a clear violation of state, national, regional, and international legal frameworks concerning children’s rights and the justice system.
“Children who are alleged to have committed crimes must be kept separate from adults in detention facilities. Their privacy and identities should be protected. Detention and trial should only be used as a last resort, and if necessary, a Juvenile Court or Juvenile Judge should handle such proceedings.
“The administration of criminal or the juvenile justice system must ensure a treatment that promotes their sense of dignity and worth, considers their age, and aims at their reintegration into society to assume a constructive role.
“This ugly phenomenon of starving children facing charges of mutiny and treasonable felonies must stop. It shames us as a nation. We demand accountability now for those who failed to respect extant laws. A prosecutor should know better and always do the right thing in the temple of justice”.
Children’s rights are human rights, and Nigerian children’s rights must be respected and upheld. Children who are in conflict with the law should be redirected away from the formal judicial process. Recent events have significantly undermined our justice system, representing a…
— Prof. Joy N. Ezeilo (SAN, OON) (@NgoziEzeilo) November 3, 2024
EndBadGovernance: Starving children facing charges of mutiny unacceptable – Ex-UN Rapporteur
