Vice President Kashim Shettima says President Bola Tinubu ordered the release of the 119 minors who faced trial over the recent hunger protest on “humanitarian grounds.”

Mr Shettima said this while handing over the freed minors to Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano and Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna at the auditorium of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.

He handed over 73 released suspected minors to Mr Yusuf of Kano and 39 to  Mr Sani.

The vice president described the event as solemn, saying the minors were released despite “compelling and inconvertible” evidence.

” The president and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu, instructed the release of the suspect on humanitarian grounds.

” Despite compelling and incontrovertible digital video and photographic evidence of the perpetrators in action. Some of which were uploaded by the actors themselves.

” Regarding this evidence, the president is the father of the nation to give these young men another chance at becoming responsible citizens who will make a positive impact in a drive for a better Nigeria,” said Mr Shettima.

The vice president admonished the minors to become responsible citizens and never allow themselves to be used to perpetrate violence and destroy public and private property.

According to him, over N300 billion was lost in the protests, consisting mainly of private property and loss of business.

He said, ” I will urge you; I will advise you, you are our children, to use the opportunity of the President’s magnanimous gesture in ensuring that you overcome and become responsible citizens who will contribute to the growth of the society.”

Mr Shettima also urged their governors and elected representatives across political divides to ensure that the children were rehabilitated and reintegrated into the fabric of their communities.

” We want to thank the president on behalf of our governors, on behalf of our members of the National Assembly for his magnanimity in granting pardon to these young children.

” Not that they were exonerated from their crime is out of his own magnanimity. Most of the instigators of the crime and their children were not involved,” he said.

On his part, Mr Yusuf assured that under his watch, protests that could destroy private and public properties would never happen again.

” I want to assure Mr President that by the grace of Allah, that kind of protest will never ever happen in Kano so long as we are in leadership,” he said.

Also, Mr Sani assured that the children would be enrolled in school and training on various skills acquisitions.

He said, ”Looking at their age and what they went through. I have no doubt in my mind that a lot of people must be happy for the fact that today they are free.”

Also, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Nentawe Yilwatda, said the ministry has profiled and examined them medically, and they were fit to be reunited with their parents. 

(NAN)