Footage showing young Nigerians, including minors, fainting in court has ignited public outcry over alleged mistreatment and police brutality. On Friday, 76 protesters—many detained since August for protesting Nigeria’s economic crisis—appeared in an Abuja court, with social media flooded by clips of visibly weakened youths clutching their stomachs and collapsing.
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi expressed concern over their malnourished appearance, calling for accountability. “The footage reveals minors, some so weak that they could barely stand, others fainting from sheer exhaustion and lack of nourishment,” he wrote on X, adding that, “these children appeared visibly malnourished and starved.”
Amnesty International decried the “horrifying” treatment, urging President Bola Tinubu to release the minors.
In response, Nigeria’s police force insisted that medical care was provided and emphasized that age does not exempt individuals from legal consequences. The case has been delayed until January, with authorities facing growing criticism over calls to reschedule the trial sooner.
Rights groups have linked this year’s protest repression to Nigeria’s longstanding issues with police violence, especially following the 2020 EndSARS protests, which reportedly saw security forces open fire on demonstrators in Lagos.
