Court scenes of fainting youths spark outrage over detentions conditions in Nigeria
Videos of young Nigerians fainting in court during their trial for participating in anti-government #EndBadGovernance protests have ignited widespread condemnation of police violence and detention conditions. On Friday, 76 individuals, many of them minors, appeared in court in Abuja, nearly three months after their arrests linked to demonstrations against Nigeria’s economic crisis.
Footage circulating on social media showed several youths, some seemingly underage, collapsing or lying on the courtroom floor, appearing weak and holding their stomachs in distress. The images sparked criticism from politicians and civil society alike.
Peter Obi, a politician who ran in the 2023 presidential election, highlighted the visible state of the detainees. “The footage reveals minors, some so weak that they could barely stand, others fainting from sheer exhaustion and lack of nourishment,” Obi wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “These children appeared visibly malnourished and starved.”
Amnesty International described the detention of minors as “horrifying,” calling it “one of the deadliest attempts to suppress freedom of assembly.” The organization urged President Bola Tinubu to release all minors held since August.
However, the Nigerian Police Force refuted claims of mistreatment. In a statement, the office of the Inspector General of Police stated, “Medical aid was promptly provided to these individuals, demonstrating the Police Force’s commitment to the welfare of those in its custody,” while warning that “age does not exempt individuals from facing legal consequences.”
Police spokesman Muyiwa Ogunjobi reinforced this stance on national television, stating, “Once you are more than seven years old you can be arraigned.”
The trial, initially set for January, may be rescheduled after Justice Minister Prince Lateef Fagbemi called for an earlier hearing. Amnesty International reported that at least 21 people have died at the hands of security forces during this year’s protests, while over 700 demonstrators have been detained.
Police brutality remains a highly sensitive issue in Nigeria, particularly after the October 2020 EndSARS protests, which demanded the dissolution of a notorious police unit. The protests peaked on October 20, 2020, when police and military forces opened fire on peaceful demonstrators in Lagos, leaving at least 12 dead, according to Amnesty.
