Twenty-nine minors in Nigeria are facing the possibility of the death penalty after being charged in connection with a protest against the country’s escalating cost-of-living crisis. During their arraignment on Friday, four of the children reportedly collapsed from exhaustion before entering their pleas.
According to official documents, a total of 76 individuals were arrested and charged with 10 serious offenses, including treason, property damage, public disturbance, and mutiny. The children charged are between 14 and 17 years old.
Recent months have seen a wave of demonstrations in Nigeria fueled by economic hardship. In August, a protest demanding improved job opportunities for young people led to at least 20 deaths from gunfire, with hundreds of others detained by authorities.
Nigeria implemented the death penalty in the 1970s, though the last known execution occurred in 2016. Legal expert Akintayo Balogun noted that under the Child Rights Act, children cannot be prosecuted or sentenced to death. Balogun said it was improper for the minors to be arraigned in a federal court unless authorities can prove they are over 19.
Each defendant was granted bail at a rate of $5,900, but their lawyers report that the strict conditions remain unmet. Marshal Abubakar, representing some of the detained children, criticized the extended custody and lack of food, stating that they have been held in detention for 90 days without adequate provisions.
Civil society leaders have condemned the government’s handling of the case. Yemi Adamolekun, director of the advocacy organization Enough is Enough, called on Nigeria’s chief justice, a woman and mother, to address the situation.
Despite being one of Africa’s leading oil exporters, Nigeria remains one of the world’s poorest nations, with rampant corruption fueling a vast gap between public officials and ordinary citizens. Medical workers regularly strike over low wages, while politicians and lawmakers are among the highest-paid in Africa, and the president’s wife receives state-funded luxuries that aren’t constitutionally mandated.
With a population of more than 210 million, Nigeria grapples with high rates of hunger and a struggling economy. The nation recently hit a 28-year high in inflation, with the naira currency at record lows. On Thursday, a United Nations report classified Nigeria as a “hotspot of very high concern,” highlighting severe food insecurity that threatens millions across the country.
