Activists are calling on Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also known by the nickname “T-Pain,” to urgently release minors detained over alleged involvement in recent #EndBadGovernance protests.
According to reports, 32 minors are among 76 individuals charged with crimes such as treason and public disturbance, which could carry severe sentences, potentially even the death penalty.
This is despite protections under Nigeria’s Child Rights Act, which exempts minors from criminal prosecution and capital punishment.
Human rights advocates have condemned the detentions, asserting that these children should be tried in family courts, not federal ones, and highlighting the violation of both domestic and international laws on children’s rights.
READ MORE: Govt., Stakeholders Urged To Eliminate Barriers To Girls’ Education
Former APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary Timi Frank, in a statement from Abuja, urged the President to not only free the children but also ensure they are enrolled in school.
“These children deserve an education, not imprisonment,” Frank said, stressing the long-term societal benefits of prioritizing their welfare.
He also condemned the decision to detain these young protesters in an adult correctional facility, a place he described as perilous for minors due to the presence of hardened criminals. He expressed alarm over the N10 million bail required by Justice Friday Egwuatu of the Federal High Court for each child’s release, calling it “judicial tyranny” and an “inhumane burden.”
Frank argued that such a hefty bail condition only deepens the trauma and exclusion faced by children who have already endured poverty and marginalization.
“These kids have been detained for over 90 days in horrifying conditions,” Frank noted. “Meanwhile, looters who contribute to the country’s hardship seem able to buy freedom with ease.”
Speaking further, he likened the President’s silence to a lack of compassion, saying, “This is why Nigerians are calling him ‘T-Pain’—because the pain of these children should compel any leader to act with a conscience, as though they were his own grandchildren.”
Frank also criticised the belated actions of Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi, who recently ordered the case files retrieved from the police. “It’s a delay tactic,” Frank alleged. “The AGF’s inaction is only worsening the trauma these children endure each day.”
The activist urged President Tinubu to bypass bureaucratic delays, release the children, and immediately provide them with educational opportunities. “The future of these minors depends on us,” he added, appealing to international child rights organisations to intervene.
In a final call to action, Frank addressed Nigerian voters, saying the situation highlights the need for political change in 2027, which he referred to as “T-Pain ProMax.”
