By Kingston Magare
Vice President Kashim Shettima Tuesday handed over the detained #EndBadGovernace teens and other protesters to the Kano and Kaduna State governors at the Presidential Vila in Abuja.
This was after President Bola Tinubu ordered them to be released from police custody where they have been languishing since August when they were arrested for participating in the #EndBadGovernace protest. Their arraignment last week at a Federal High Court in Abuja sparked a global outrage.
Justice Obiora Egwatu who had during the hearing slammed a N10m bail bond on the kids eventually struck out the case against them on Tuesday morning at the request of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.
Speaking during the handover of the kids VP Shettima said: “The President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, instructed the release of the suspect on humanitarian grounds, despite incontrovertible digital video and photographic evidence of the perpetration and actions some of which were uploaded by the actors themselves.
“Regarding this evidence, the President as the father of the nation is giving these young men another chance at becoming responsible citizens who will make a positive impact, in a drive for a better Nigeria.
“I would like to admonish you, young men not to allow yourselves to be used to perpetrate violence and destroy public and private property because over N300 billion was lost in the protests, consisting mainly private property and loss of business.
“I will urge our governors and our elected representatives here, that cuts across political divide, what binds us together as citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria supersedes whatever divides us.
“I will call on our two governors and our representatives into a single cause and ensure that these subjects are rehabilitated and reintegrated to the fabric of our communities”.
