The Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners' Forum expressed shock and outrage over images of visibly traumatized and malnourished youths, some minors, brought before an Abuja court on charges of high treason against the Nigerian state. The Forum condemned the police's treatment of these youths as an “irresponsible act of inhumanity” that has “sparked national and international outcry” and “will leave an indelible stain on our national consciousness as a supposed democratic nation.”

In a statement released Sunday, the Forum’s Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Yelwa (Ajiyan Yauri), strongly criticized the inhumane treatment of these Nigerians, whose “only crime was exercising their constitutionally protected right to protest.” He highlighted the government’s recent claim to have identified the sponsors of the #EndBadGovernance protest, making the charges against these young detainees appear “tragically absurd.”

The Forum urged the Federal Government to prosecute anyone responsible for the detention and mistreatment of these youths, asserting that Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu risks descending into a “police state” where citizens’ rights are increasingly suppressed. Yelwa added that key national institutions—including the judiciary, police, and security forces—are being misused as tools of oppression against the populace. He also noted that journalists have faced unwarranted arrests, as recently pointed out by the Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON).

The Forum connected the unrest in the country to the “destabilizing effects of the President’s policies,” lamenting that widespread poverty and hunger are compelling more Nigerians to protest, while the government seems unresponsive to their suffering.

“We join other Nigerians in calling on President Tinubu to order the immediate release of these protesters and, if any, to prosecute the true sponsors of the protest. These traumatized young men scavenging for food in the court are not capable of high treason,” Yelwa stated.

Citing the United Nations Convention Against Torture, Yelwa emphasized that no individual should be subjected to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. “Nigeria has failed to uphold this convention,” he said, noting that the treatment of these youths serves as a reminder of this failure.

The Forum called on President Tinubu, security forces, and the judiciary to ensure the safety of the 76 detainees and to secure urgent medical treatment abroad for the four minors who collapsed in court. They demanded an investigation into the protest’s true sponsors, whom police claim to have identified.

Yelwa also urged the government to “address the underlying causes of unrest, protect the rights of all citizens, and uphold the independence of the judiciary.” The Forum further asked the administration to reconsider “anti-people policies” that have inflicted hardship on the nation.

Finally, the Forum demanded an unreserved apology and adequate compensation for the detained youths, calling on Nigerians to “stand firm against any injustice and human rights violations.”