The Labour Part Presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi has condemned the trial of 124 protesters including minors for treason for being part of the recent protest.
He called it a national embarrassment.
Obi in his X handle said he watched what he described as the disturbing and condemnable scenes captured in a circulating video, showing 124 protesters, among them minors, appearing in court Friday as part of efforts to secure the enforcement of their fundamental rights.
He said the footage revealed minors, some so weak that they could barely stand, others fainting from sheer exhaustion and lack of nourishment.
According to the former Governor of Anambra State, these children appeared visibly malnourished and starved, a condition he noted should alarm the conscience of every citizen in the nation.
“From their look, they were poorly handled despite being in the custody of the federal government of Nigeria.
“The offense being alleged against these suspects, including minors, is protesting against bad governance that was directly affecting their livelihood and which our constitution under a democratic dispensation guarantees them.
“Curiously, most of the people in government today leveraged this aspect of the Constitution standing as champions of good governance while in opposition.
“Moreover, our status presumes those suspects deserve some dignity, even in a correctional home as human beings.
“The reason we should all be concerned about a situation like this is that we are part of a global community where human dignity should be respected.
“May I appreciate the presiding lordship for halting the trial and saving the country further embarrassment it would have been to the World as a democratic nation.
“I would like to call on relevant authorities, especially the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation, the Police, and the DSS, as well as the National Human Rights Commission, to thoroughly investigate such inhuman treatment of minors to avert such incidents in the future,”Peter Obi concluded.
