Senator representing the Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to apologise to the minors detained for participating in the August #EndBadGovernance protests.

Mr Ndume said during the Channels Television programme Politics Today on Tuesday that Mr Tinubu’s government handled the situation wrongly and called for the punishment of police officers involved in their arrest and detention.

Nonetheless, he condemned the destruction of properties during the protest against bad governance and hardship triggered by Mr Tinubu’s economic policies.

“If I were the president, I’d apologise to the children and compensate them and punish officers involved in their arrest and detention trying to bring bad name to the country,” Mr Ndume said.

He added, “While I’ll never support people destroying properties in the name of protest, the way the government managed the situation was very wrong.”

No fewer than 119 minors were handed over to Governors Abba Yusuf of Kano and Uba Sani of Kaduna at the State House on Tuesday following their release from detention on Mr Tinubu’s order.

Mr Ndume condemned the arrest and detention of the minors. He described as embarrassing the decision of the government to arraign the minors for treason.

“Tinubu is known to be a democrat. He fought for democracy and should run a government that promotes it. In the first place, the minors were not supposed to be arrested or detained. Protest is constitutional,” the senator said.

Mr Ndume further described the Tax Reform Bill transmitted to the Senate as dead on arrival, insisting Nigerians must be duly educated.

“Withdraw the bill and educate Nigerians more on its contents and benefits. As it is now, the bill is dead on arrival at the Senate. Most people proposing these policies don’t understand Nigeria. That’s why they are following IMF/World Bank policies which can’t work in Nigeria,” Mr Ndume said.