The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has denounced the arrest and trial of northern minors in Abuja for alleged treason linked to their participation in the #EndBadGovernance protests, condemning the move as “official high-handedness” and a “show of shame.”
In a Sunday statement by ACF National Publicity Secretary Professor Tukur Muhammad-Babahe, the forum criticised the Federal High Court’s handling of the case, calling the stringent bail terms an assault on common sense.
The minors were reportedly subjected to excessive bail requirements, including substantial monetary sums and senior government official sureties, conditions unrealistic for citizens from underprivileged backgrounds.
The forum also criticised the prolonged detention of the minors, which exceeded the constitutional 24-hour holding limit, describing the ordeal as tarnishing President Bola Tinubu’s administration both domestically and internationally.
Highlighting the matter’s international media coverage, ACF urged the government to immediately release the detainees, conduct a full investigation, compensate them for wrongful detention, and provide medical and psychological support.
ACF further recommended that authorities review protest response strategies to align with constitutional guidelines and global standards for good governance.
