*Claim None Below Age 7
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In a statement addressing concerns about the ages of individuals charged in connection with the #EndBadGovernance protests, Force Public Relations Officer Muyiwa Ogunjobi asserted that none of the accused is below the age of seven, the minimum age for criminal liability under Nigerian law.
Ogunjobi stated, “Once you are more than 7 years old, you can be charged to court … none of them is less than 7 … the fact that you are 13 years old does not mean you can’t be charged to court.” He clarified that while certain procedures must be followed when charging minors, the youngest among the accused is believed to be 13 years old.
According to the Force PRO, even under the Children and Young Persons Act, a 13-year-old can be charged and brought before the court. “The police has taken the bull by the horn because these are those who actually are leveraged on the end bad governance protests. They hijacked the protests and they are so violent,” Ogunjobi said, justifying the police’s actions.
Ogunjobi specifically mentioned the use of foreign flags, particularly Russian flags, by some protesters, which he described as a punishable offense. He emphasized that the police have not charged any underage individuals in their context and pointed to the ongoing engagement with social media influencers and content creators to condemn the unauthorized use of police or other law enforcement uniforms in their content.
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The statements by the Force PRO have further fueled the debate surrounding the treatment of minors in the ongoing legal proceedings related to the nationwide protests. Critics argue that charging 13-year-olds in such cases raises serious concerns about the protection of children’s rights and the proportionality of the legal response to their alleged actions.
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