A Country On Trial -By Kene Obiezu

There can be no mistake about it: a country that feeds minors into the dock is a country that puts itself on trial.
On November 1, dozens of teenagers were arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja for various offences. The most eye-catching of the charges was treason which carries a death penalty.

The children many of whom had apparently participated in chaotic protests in Kano State were soon made to find out how much of a pressure cooker Nigeria’s justice system can be. No sooner had some of them been summoned to the dock that they fainted, ostensibly out of ill-health, ill-treatment, malnutrition, or a combination of all. The video quickly went viral in a world where technology has eroded privacy, drawing a deluge of condemnation for the government.

Stung into action, the minister of women affairs has visited the kids; the federal ministry of justice has requested for their case file while president Tinubu has directed the ministry to review the case of the minors.

As some Nigerians protested against bad governance between 1st to 10th August 2024, the protests were especially violent in the North. In Kano State where the minors were arrested, the protesters cast caution to the wind in tearing down public buildings including courtrooms and libraries.

The protests were supposed to be peaceful as is every protest in a democracy. Those who violated the terms of the protest to show their violent streak should pay be made to pay. That is what the law dictates; that is what the guarantees of a peaceful and orderly society demand. But at what price?

According to the police, the boys staged their fainting. It may be true. It is not uncommon to see parties to judicial proceedings pull out all kind of rabbits from their hats to divert attention. The police also alleged that those who sponsored the protests sunk a staggering nine billion Naira to facilitate the destabilization of the country.
These are grave allegations even if the police has a reputation for hyperbole. In a country facing grave security challenges, criminals whether adults or children should be made to dance to the music of the law despite their comedic gimmicks. But, again, at what price to Nigeria?

The last eighteen months have been a struggle for the current administration. The government has appeared lost and lethargic for long periods. With its policies driving many to the edge of the precipice, there have been enough sticks to beat it with.

Many people did not join the August protests, but wherever they were, they approved and supported. There were also flashes of protests in October, as around Nigeria celebrated its independence anniversary.

If the protesters were too hasty in taking to the streets without giving the policies of the new government enough time to gel, the government’s response has been eye-opening. Using Nigeria’s secret police, protestors have been hounded and hunted down. The case of the minors shows that the government is bent on silencing its critics.

In the mechanics of democracy, reaction and response are everything. The government’s reaction to the murmurs of discontent its policies have generated in Nigeria has fetched it local and international opprobrium. It has put Nigeria on trial as a country where minors are tried for treason for protesting against bad governance.

Rather than this embarrassing desperation to send a message that breach of law and order will not be tolerated in the country, the government can dig deeper to unearth and address the root causes of the dissatisfaction and dysfunction that are driving people to breach law and order.

The government may yet be dealing with criminals hiding in the bodies of children, but if the North did not have the highest population of out-of-school children in Nigeria, maybe the army of discontent mustered against Nigeria as things stand will be far weaker.

Yet, the government must act and fast. Hounding a hatful of protesters when there are countless prospective protesters out there is not only unsustainable, it smacks of folly which will be unveiled with time.

Kene Obiezu,
keneobiezu@gmail.com