IA-Foundation has expressed concern over the arrest and prolonged detention of 76 individuals, including 27 minors for participating in the #EndBadGovernance protest.
The founder, IA-Foundation, Ibironke Adeagbo said in a statement on Friday that it was worrisome that these individuals have been held for over 90 days without appropriate consideration of their age and well-being.
“We urge the government to immediately conduct dental age assessments on all the detained children to determine their ages. If detainees are confirmed to be under 18, they should be transferred to juvenile correctional facilities, as stipulated by law, ” she said.
The foundation insisted that these minors must be granted access to education while in detention, as required by Section 250 of the Child Rights Act which explicitly mandates that detained children must not be deprived of their right to education.
According to Adeagbo, “it is apparent from the children’s malnourished condition that their basic needs have not been adequately met during their detention”.
According to her, “One of the root causes of this situation is the lack of access to education, which left these children vulnerable and available to participate in protests. We must learn from this and ensure the same mistakes are not repeated.
“Therefore, we call upon the government to not only ascertain the ages of the detained individuals but also to provide immediate educational opportunities to those who are minors.”
Adeagbo pointed out that children deserve a fair chance at a better future, and denying them education further perpetuates the cycle of disadvantage and vulnerability.
She stressed that IA-Foundation remains committed to advocating for children’s rights and ensuring that no child is deprived of education, regardless of the circumstances.
