29 Children Face Death for Protesting Cost-of-Living

Twenty-nine Nigerian children, some as young as 14, are facing the death penalty after participating in a protest against Nigeria’s record-breaking cost-of-living crisis.

On Friday, these minors stood in a courtroom, exhausted and in despair, with four of them collapsing before they could even enter a plea. Their crime? Speaking out in a nation where economic turmoil has ignited mass outrage.

These 29 children are among 76 protesters slapped with 10 serious charges, including treason, public disturbance, and mutiny, according to a court charge sheet obtained by The Associated Press.

The sheet indicates the children involved are between the ages of 14 and 17, minors by any international legal standard. But under Nigeria’s current law, they could face the maximum penalty of death — a measure established in the 1970s though sparingly applied, with the last execution recorded in 2016.

Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, is paradoxically one of the world’s poorest countries. The nation’s public officials are among the continent’s wealthiest, yet average Nigerians struggle to make ends meet as inflation skyrockets to 28-year highs and the naira plunges against the dollar.

According to the United Nations’ food agencies, Nigeria was labeled a “hotspot of very high concern,” with tens of millions facing critical food insecurity. In a country where over 210 million people battle daily for survival, government support and jobs are scarce.

Economic frustration has mounted into frequent, and often deadly, demonstrations across Nigeria. In one tragic protest in August, at least 20 people were killed, and hundreds more were detained after demanding opportunities and better conditions for Nigeria’s youth. Legal experts argue that the latest arrests, particularly of minors, represent a troubling erosion of human rights.

“Taking minors before a federal high court is wrong, ab initio, except if the government can somehow prove that these boys are all over 19 years of age,” said Akintayo Balogun, a private lawyer based in Abuja. He pointed out that the Child Rights Act protects minors from criminal sentencing and particularly from facing the death penalty.

Despite this legal safeguard, the children languished in detention for three months — reportedly without adequate food or basic necessities.

Marshal Abubakar, counsel for some of the defendants, expressed disbelief over the harsh measures. “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,” he told reporters.

In a scathing criticism, Yemi Adamolekun, Executive Director of Enough is Enough, a civil society organization promoting good governance, called out the judicial system’s silence. “The Chief Justice of Nigeria should be ashamed; she is a woman and a mother,” she said, lambasting the inhumane treatment of children under the guise of upholding order.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s political class maintains a luxurious lifestyle, with benefits including SUVs and substantial allowances funded by taxpayer money, while many public servants, like doctors, often strike for livable wages. The country’s politicians, frequently entangled in corruption scandals, are some of the highest-paid on the continent, drawing ire as the public they serve struggles to put food on the table.

In an unprecedented move, the court set bail at 10 million naira ($5,900) for each defendant, an amount their families have yet to raise. These stringent conditions have left many wondering if Nigeria’s judiciary is becoming complicit in silencing the most vulnerable voices in society.