ABUJA, Nigeria (CNN) — Twenty-nine minors in Nigeria, ages 14 to 17, are facing possible death sentences after being charged Friday for participating in protests against the country’s worsening cost-of-living crisis. Four of the children reportedly collapsed in court from exhaustion before they could enter a plea.
The minors are among 76 protesters who face ten felony charges, including treason, destruction of property, public disturbance, and mutiny. Frustration over surging living costs has driven thousands to protest in recent months; in August, at least 20 people were killed and hundreds detained during demonstrations calling for better job opportunities for youth.
Nigeria’s Child Rights Act prohibits sentencing children to death, noted Akintayo Balogun, an Abuja-based attorney. “Taking minors before a federal high court is wrong, ab initio, except if the government can prove they are over 19,” Balogun stated.
Despite this, the court set bail at 10 million naira ($5,900) per defendant with strict conditions. Marshal Abubakar, a lawyer representing some of the children, said they had endured 90 days of detention without adequate food. “A country with a duty to educate its children has instead chosen to punish them,” Abubakar remarked.
Yemi Adamolekun, director of the advocacy group Enough is Enough, criticized Nigeria’s legal system: “The chief justice of Nigeria should be ashamed. She is a woman and a mother,” Adamolekun stated.
Though Nigeria is a major crude oil producer, widespread poverty and inflation continue to strain the lives of its 210 million citizens. The country faces one of the highest inflation rates in decades, and the naira currency remains at record lows against the dollar. On Thursday, the UN identified Nigeria as a “hotspot of very high concern” due to critical levels of food insecurity affecting large numbers of people across the country.