The Kaduna State Government under the leadership of Sani Uba has gifted mobile phones and a sum of N100,000 to each of the newly released #EndBadGovernance protesters in the state.
The protesters including minors were granted freedom on Tuesday after a Federal High Court in Abuja struck out treasonous charges brought against them by the Nigerian Government.
This followed an application by the Attorney General of the Federation’s office to withdraw the charges after the arraignment of minors generated public outrage and national and international embarrassment.
The protesters were detained for three months following their alleged participation in the nationwide protests.
Their freedom was pronounced by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, the presiding judge, who struck out the case after he granted the application by M.D Abubakar, counsel for the AGF, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
Addressing newsmen after securing their freedom on Tuesday morning, one of their lawyers, Marshal Abubakar, said their clients were granted bail after the Attorney General of the Federation exercised his constitutional right to discontinue the treasonous case initiated by Nigerian Police.
The lawyer added that the government was statutorily bound to rehabilitate and ensure all the detained minors enjoy free education up to university education.
The malnourished minors who spent about 90 days in prison were later handed over to officials of the governments of Kaduna and Kano states.
Pictures seen by The Bureau Newspaper show that the Kaduna the released detainees smartphones and money.
Also, in a statement issued on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the Kaduna State Governor on New Media, Abdullahi Yunus confirmed the payment of N100,000 each to all the protesters.
The governor’s aide quoted the Secretary to Kaduna State Government, Dr Abdulkadir Muazu, as saying: “The governor promised that some of them will be given start-up capitals to commence trading, others will be taught skills and some will be given employment.
“Both Islamic and Christian religious leaders preached to them to embrace the teachings of their faiths and to avoid bad company, to benefit from God’s blessings here and in the hereafter,” the SSG was quoted as saying.
Yunus added that according to the SSG, the detainees were given a telephone each because they lost their own during detention and “the Governor has graciously given each of them N100,000 as a measure of goodwill”.
The statement added that the detainees have been returned to their various homes.