In a statement released by the Chairman of the Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners’ Forum Alhaji Abdullahi Yalwa, Ajiyan Yawuri, said ” After seeing physically terrorized and malnourished youth, some of them juveniles, paraded before an Abuja court for charges of high treason against the Nigerian state the forum has decided to take its position on the matter.’
“This irresponsible act of inhumanity by the police, which had attracted national and international outrage, will forever be a stain on our national consciousness as a so-called democratic country.”
We therefore condemn in strongest terms, this inhuman treatment made on fellow Nigerians, whose only crime was exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights to protest.”
The revelation by the government that it had uncovered the identity of the sponsors of the #EndBadGovernance protest, made the prosecution of these boys, who probably attended the protests out of childish curiosity, laughable, though tragic.
We therefore call on the Federal Government to arrest and prosecute anyone found culpable for the detention and mistreatment of these children.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that Nigeria under President Tinubu is fast becoming a police state where the rights of the citizens are daily being trampled upon.
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Critical national institutions like the judiciary, police, and other security services, designed for the protection of the rights of the citizens, have been turned into mere tools for the oppression of the masses.
As observed recently by the Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria, BON, even the press has not been spared, with journalists being regularly arrested for no just reason.
For the avoidance of doubt, the causes of the social upheaval being witnessed in the country are directly attributable to the destabilizing and debilitating effects of the policies of the President.
Nigerians have been pauperized beyond measure, with people daily dying of hunger. They will, therefore, continue to protest, especially as the government appears to be insensitive to their plight.
We, therefore, join other Nigerians in calling on President Tinubu to order the immediate release of these protesters and arrest and prosecute the real sponsors of the protests,t, if there are any. These physically tormented, terrorized boys, scavenging for food in the temple of justice, to any right-thinking mind, are not capable of high treason against Nigeria.’
“The Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1984, clearly states that no one shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Unfortunately, Nigeria has failed to uphold this convention, and the recent arraignment of youth and juveniles is a stark reminder of this failure.”
The Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners’ Forum will continue to advocate for justice, equality, and human rights in Nigeria.’