From jailhouse to state house

Never in their wildest dreams would those hapless minors incarcerated in a jailhouse since August imagine being transported to be feted in the opulent surroundings of the Presidential Villa. These fantasies belong to the realm of politicians who might seem to occupy a different terrestrial space. In the annals of many countries, politicians have been known to easily run, hither and thither, between prisons and state houses with solemn equanimity. But not street urchins found engaged in riotous behaviours and corralled into detention by overzealous security operatives.

This is what happened to the 30 or so minors who were arrested in early August during the marches of the #EndBadGovernance protest and detained till November when they were brought to the High Court in Abuja for trial. There was a public outcry at the miserable condition they arrived at the court, where a few were reported to have even collapsed at the premises. The public was more outraged by the charges of treason against the wretched-looking urchins and was even more appalled by the stiff bail conditions pronounced by the judge. Many were bewildered by the price of N10 million on each of the accused as part of the bail conditions. They were, then, promptly returned to jail.

The social media took off from there, giving ample room to all sorts of do-gooders to bemoan the abject condition of the boys. I agree that some of the tears shed on behalf of the boys were genuine, but I bet many of them were crocodile tears. Where were all these media champions when the boys were incarcerated under those terrible conditions for weeks on end? Where were their elected representatives and their traditional rulers all this while? It was only when the condition of the boys went viral that the governors, in particular, decided to join hands with the civil rights groups and others advocating the release of the boys.

The hullabaloo became an awful din in the ears of both the federal and state governments, leading to the sudden unconditional release of the boys. This was announced by the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris on Tuesday at a hastily arranged press briefing in the State House Abuja. Among other things, the minister also said the president has directed that an administrative committee be set up to examine all issues surrounding the arrest, detention, and treatment of the young minors.

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He added that the President has also directed that “all law enforcement agents involved in the arrest and the legal processes will be investigated, and if any infractions are found to have been committed by any official of Government, whether from a law enforcement agency or another appropriate authority, disciplinary action will be taken against him or her.”

The court processes then became routine. The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) withdrew the treason charges against the minors before the Abuja Federal High Court, and they were accordingly released. This was the moment their fairy tale transmuted into substance. They never returned to the prison, but were handed over to their respective state officials who accommodated them elsewhere. The next day they were spruced up and elegantly dressed for that day’s encounter with the vice president.

On the appointed day, instead of the Black Maria vehicle that transported them from the prison to the court, they were, instead driven to State House in style using air-conditioned buses. To receive them in Villa, were Vice President Kashim Shettima, a host of governors, ministers, and other bigwigs of the government. It was a full house and the vice president used the occasion to admonish the youths for their wanton behaviour which led to the public loss of over N300 billion and urged them “to turn a new leaf and build responsible futures.”

Kashim Shettima also called on the governors to ensure that the youths “are rehabilitated and reintegrated into the fabric of our communities.” The youths were then handed over to their governors of Kano and Kaduna who whisked them away. The royal treatment of the youth continued in style. Governor Abba Kabir of Kano State decided to charter a plane to go along with his youths to Kano. Pictures of the bemused faces of the youths seated in the plane alongside that of the governor were splashed across the media. Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State also transported his group of youths to Kaduna.

In Kaduna Governor Uba Sani lavishly entertained the youths, and provided them with cash gifts of N100,000 each plus smartphones. They were promised employment and startup capital for those wishing to start their businesses. In Kano, the treatment was similarly glamorous. On their arrival at the Aminu Kano International Airport, the governor and the youths were received by high government officials. The youths were taken to a special, prearranged ward in the Muhammadu Buhari Specialists Hospital to stay for a few days while their physical and mental well-being were evaluated. They will later be released to their families.

As we close the chapter of this fairy tale, I hope the youths have learnt their hard lesson. We also look forward to the findings of the various committees set up to investigate all the issues surrounding the arrest, detention, and treatment of the minors. It is only then we can make an informed comment.