#EndBadGovernance: IGP summons senior officers over mistreatment of arrested minors

The Inspector General Of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has summoned DCs, CID, heads of investigation units, and other senior officers over the poor treatment of detained minors arraigned at the Abuja Division of Federal High Court following the #EndBadGovernance protest in August.

Mr Adejobi said, “Following the recent remand and subsequent arraignment of some young individuals on Friday, 1st November, the Inspector-General of Police, while in Algiers, Algeria for the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation committee meeting, directed investigation into the conditions surrounding the care and welfare of these young persons while in Police detention facilities.”

“Upon receiving the investigative report today in Glasgow, where the IGP is currently participating in Interpol General Assembly, the IGP vowed to thoroughly examine it and take necessary actions to address any procedural lapses or concerns.

“To further ensure professionalism in investigation with emphasis on child-friendly investigation and care, the IGP has summoned all DCs CID and Heads of Investigation Units to a conference and workshop on November 7, 2024, at the Police Resource Center, Jabi.”

Mr Adejobi reiterated the Force’s commitment to upholding legal frameworks and vowed to ensure fairness and accountability, especially for vulnerable groups.

This development followed nationwide outrage after 32 minors aged between 10 and 17 were prosecuted on Friday, out of which two of them, 14-year-old Muhammed Yahaya and 16-year-old Muktar Ishak Alhassan, as well as two adults, 18-year-old Mustapha Ibrahim and 21-year-old Usman Fatihu, slumped while they were in the dock before being taken to a medical facility.

Some of the protesters appeared malnourished at the court hearing on Friday after they were arrested and detained by the police for three months.

President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, however, directed the AGF to facilitate the immediate release of the arraigned #EndBadGovernance protesters and also ordered the set up of a committee led by the ministry of humanitarian affairs, to look into issues surrounding the arrest, detention and treatment of the minors.

On Tuesday, the court dismissed the terrorism suit against 119 protesters arraigned on Friday for alleged treason.