Nigeria's president orders the release of 29 children facing the death penalty for protests

ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu on Monday ordered the immediate release of 29 children facing the death penalty after they were charged for allegedly taking part in protests against the country's worst cost of living crisis in a generation.

Amid growing pressure from activists, Tinubu also led an investigation into law enforcement officers involved in the arrest and prosecution of the minors, Nigeria's Information Minister Mohammed Idris told reporters in the capital Abuja. They are not expected to be released by court order until Tuesday.

The children, detained since August, were among more than 70 people charged on Friday with treason, destruction of property and mutiny after August protests rocked the country and culminated in security forces killing some demonstrators and arresting hundreds.

Four of the minors, aged 14 to 17, collapsed from exhaustion when they were brought before the court last week. Most of the others looked malnourished and lost as they huddled together in the dock, the rest sitting on the floor.

There was no news of her detention until her arraignment, sparking outrage and renewed concerns about deteriorating human rights in Africa's most populous country.

A local court imposed strict conditions and granted the children bail of 10 million naira ($5,900) each, which none of them could afford.

It is still not clear whether the children took part in the protests by Nigerians as they faced increasing hardship due to the government's economic policies aimed at cutting costs and stabilizing the struggling economy.

According to Amnesty International's Nigeria office, one of several human rights groups calling for the children's release, they were unlawfully detained and endured “horrific experiences.”

The arrest of children “reveals significant deficiencies in our criminal justice system, particularly the child justice system, and points to systemic problems that do not protect the rights of minors,” said Funke Adeoye, founder of Hope Behind Bars Africa, a nonprofit organization that advocates for their rights fights release. ____

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