No fewer than 114 suspects arrested in the wake of the August protest were yesterday released to Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf and his Kaduna State counterpart, Uba Sani, by the Federal Government.

The detainees were released to the governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, following their discharge by a Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Two days ago, the Federal Government had dropped the treason charges against the suspected protesters after the uproar that greeted their arraignment in the court.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to drop the charges and ensure their release.

Human rights lawyers and other activists complained that the minors looked frail. One of them also fainted in the court.

The suspects were arrested by security agencies in Kano and Kaduna where they were on the rampage.

During the protest that lasted for three days, the placard-carrying protesters displayed Russian flags, calling for a change of government and destroying public property.

While 73 suspects were handed over to Yusuf, 39 were released to Sani.

Earlier, additional three minors from Kano were released. Four more minors from Kaduna were also asked to go.

Vice President Shettima, who handed them over to the governors, implored them to henceforth be of good conduct and avoid acts likely to constitute a breach of public peace as they unite with their families.

He said the event called for sober reflection and ” for us to look inwards and find solutions to our challenges.”

Read Also: BREAKING: Tinubu released minors on compassionate ground – Shettima
Shettima added: “President Bola Tinubu instructed the release of the suspects on humanitarian grounds, despite compelling and incontrovertible digital video and photographic evidence of the perpetrators in action, some of which were uploaded by the actors themselves.

Regarding this evidence, the president, as the father of the nation, decided to give these young men another chance at becoming responsible citizens who will make a positive impact, in a drive for a better Nigeria.”

The vice-president admonished the minors not to allow themselves to be used to perpetrate violence and destroy public and private property.

He lamented that over N300 billion was lost in the protests, mainly from the destruction of private property and loss of business.

Shettima said: ” I will urge you, I will advise you, you are our children, to use the opportunity of the President’s magnanimous gesture in ensuring that you overcome and become responsible citizens who will contribute to the growth of the society.”

The vice president also urged the two governors and elected representatives across political divides to ensure that the children were rehabilitated and reintegrated to the fabric of their communities.

He thanked Tinubu for proving that he was the father of the nation.

Shettima said: “We want to thank the President on behalf of our governors, on behalf of our members of the National Assembly, for his magnanimity in granting pardon to these young children.

“Not that they were exonerated from their crime, is out of his own magnanimity. Most of the instigators of the crime and their children were not involved.”

Shettima thanked the governors of Kano and Kaduna for rushing down from their states to take custody of the children.

Yusuf assured the president that under his watch, protests that could lead to the destruction of private and public properties would never happen again.

He thanked President Tinubu for seeing to the freedom of the minor children.

Yusuf said: “What the President did will continue to be in our mind. The President has shown his compassion. He has shown his humility. I want to assure Mr President that by the grace of Allah that kind of protest will never ever happen in Kano so long as we are in leadership.”

Sani promised to enrol the children in school for training on various skills.

He said: “We thank the President for granting pardon to our children. Of course we know they are children of everyone. Looking at their age and what they went through. I have no doubt in my mind that a lots of people must be happy for the fact that today they are free.”

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said the ministry has profiled and examined the minors medically, adding that they were fit to be reunited with their parents.

Court stops treason trial

A Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped further proceedings in the treason charges brought against the suspects by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

Justice Obiora Egwuatu struck out the charges, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/503/2024 and FHC/ABJ/CR/527/2024 after the prosecution applied to withdraw them.

The prosecution was represented by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar.

Abubakar told the court that he was exercising the powers granted the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) by the Constitution, under Section 174, to take over the case from the police.

When allowed by the court to assume further prosecution of the case, the DPPF applied to discontinue the case, an application defence lawyers did not oppose.

Justice Egwuatu granted the request and struck out the charges.

The defendants were not in court, but the judge ordered their immediate release from custody.

NAPPS gives scholarships minors

The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) unfolded plans to give scholarship to 52 minors up to secondary level.

PNAPPS Board of Trustees Chairman, Alhaji Abdulmumuni Kundak applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the newly released entrepreneurship curriculum for pupils in Basic schools, stressing the need for skill acquisition for national development.

The association,which hailed the President for ordering the release of the minors, reiterated its commitment to educational development and quality pedagogy.

Civil society lauds Tinubu

An activist, Kabiru Adisa, lauded President Tinubu for releasing the minors.

Adisa said in a statement in Ibadan: ‘“This decisive action, not only reflects the administration’s commitment to humanitarian values, but also signals a significant shift in Nigeria’s approach to juvenile justice reform.

‘’This bold move aligns with international best practices in juvenile justice administration and shows Nigeria’s commitment to upholding the rights of young offenders.”

Also, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) commended the president for the release.

CISLAC welcomed the President’s decision, in a statement by its ExecutiveDirector, Auwai Rafsanjani, praising his willingness to investigate the circumstances leading to the arrests and to hold the security personnel accountable.

It said: “Additionally, CISLAC has urged President Tinubu to extend this directive to other detained protesters, fostering greater national unity, justice, and demonstrating a government open to addressing citizens’ grievances.”

The group called for reforms to Nigeria’s criminal justice system.

It stressed:”Firstly, the need for comprehensive judicial reform, particularly targeting corruption within the judiciary. To restore hope and stability in our country, we must ensure that only judges with integrity serve on our benches.

A reformed judiciary will not only strengthen the rule of law and democracy but also increase confidence among international investors, who seek a transparent and fair justice system,” it said.

CISLAC also underscored the importance of police reform, particularly in recruitment and service deployment.”

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