29 Nigerian children may be sentenced to death for protesting the cost of living crisis

ABUJA, Nigeria – Twenty-nine children could face the death penalty in Nigeria after they were charged Friday for taking part in a protest against the country’s record cost of living crisis. Four of them collapsed in court from exhaustion before they could enter a plea.

A total of 76 protesters were charged with 10 felonies, including treason, destruction of property, public disturbance and rioting, according to the indictment seen by The Associated Press.

According to the indictment, the minors were between 14 and 17 years old.

Frustration over the cost of living crisis has led to several mass protests in recent months. In August, at least 20 people were shot and hundreds more arrested at a protest demanding better opportunities and jobs for young people.

The death penalty was introduced in the 1970s in Nigeria, but no executions have taken place in the country as of 2016.

Akintayo Balogun, a private lawyer based in Abuja, said the Child Rights Act does not allow any child to be subjected to criminal proceedings and sentenced to death.

“So, taking the minors before a federal high court is wrong, ab initio, unless the government can prove that the boys are above 19,” Balogun said.

In the end, the court granted bail of 10 million naira ($5,900) to each of the defendants and imposed strict conditions that they still have to fulfill, said Marshal Abubakar, counsel for some of the boys.

“A country that has a duty to educate its children will decide to punish those children. These children have been in detention for 90 days without food,” Abubakar said.

Yemi Adamolekun, executive director of Enough is Enough, a civil society organization that promotes good governance in Nigeria, said the authorities had no business prosecuting children.

“The Chief Justice of Nigeria should be ashamed of herself, she is a woman and a mother,” Adamolekun said.

Despite being one of Africa’s leading crude oil producers, Nigeria remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Chronic corruption means that the lifestyles of its public officials rarely mirror those of the general population. Medical professionals often strike to protest poor pay.

The country’s politicians and parliamentarians, often accused of corruption, are some of the highest paid in Africa. Even the wife of the president—her office nowhere in the constitution—is entitled to SUVs and other taxpayer-funded luxuries.

Nigeria’s population of more than 210 million people – the largest on the continent – is also among the world’s hungriest, and its government has struggled to create jobs. The inflation rate is also at a 28-year high and the local currency naira at record lows against the dollar.

On Thursday, Nigeria was classified as a “hotspot of very high concern” in a report by the United Nations food agencies, as large numbers of people are facing or are expected to face critical levels of acute food insecurity in country in West Africa.