Former Kano State Governor and presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has voiced strong criticism of the bail conditions imposed on minors arrested during recent #EndBadGovernance protests. Kwankwaso expressed his concern over the well-being of the detained children, many of whom, he claimed, were in poor health and required immediate medical attention.
In a statement shared on his X account on Friday, Kwankwaso expressed his shock at the Nigeria Police Force’s decision to arraign 67 minors at a court in Abuja. “These children, who are obviously malnourished and need medical attention, have been subjected to a cruel experience when they should be in school,” he said. Kwankwaso condemned the treatment of the minors, emphasizing that it “negates every tenet of the protection of human rights and dignity.”
The former governor highlighted that the strict bail conditions are especially unreasonable for teenagers, many of whom lack the financial means to meet the court’s demands. “I am particularly appalled by the stringent conditions set for their release,” he said, calling it “absurd that a teenager is ordered to source for 10 million Naira and a grade 15 civil servant for bail.”
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Kwankwaso also pointed to the Child’s Rights Act of 2003, which protects minors from physical, mental, or emotional abuse. “Section 11 of the Child’s Rights Act protects the dignity of every child and shields them from any physical, mental, or emotional injury, abuse, neglect, or maltreatment,” he emphasized.
In addition to criticizing the bail conditions, Kwankwaso urged the government to focus on more pressing national issues, such as addressing banditry, kidnapping, Boko Haram, unstable electricity, and economic hardships, instead of, as he put it, “incarcerating children.”
Kwankwaso’s statements have sparked significant public debate, with many Nigerians echoing his concerns on social media and calling for reforms to protect minors’ rights in the justice system.