WYSN press statement Borno government conviction and sentencing of seven youths, most of whom are minors, for joining a protest during End Bad Governance

PRESS STATEMENT BY THE WORKERS AND YOUTH SOLIDARITY NETWORK (WYSN)

Date: 25 August  2025
RE: CONVICTION AND SENTENCING OF SEVEN YOUTHS BY BORNO HIGH COURT FOR PARTICIPATING IN “END BAD GOVERNANCE” PROTEST

The Workers and Youth Solidarity Network (WYSN) strongly condemns the recent conviction and sentencing of seven young Nigerians — most of whom are minors — by the Borno State High Court for merely exercising their constitutional right to protest during the End Bad Governance demonstration in Borno State.

This judgment represents a grave miscarriage of justice and a dangerous attack on democratic freedoms. The youths in question did not commit any act of violence or pose a threat to public safety. Their only “offense” was daring to speak out against systemic injustice, poverty, insecurity, corruption, and the failures of leadership that have plagued not only Borno State but Nigeria as a whole.

The conviction and sentencing of these youths are a stark reminder of the government’s intolerance for dissent and its willingness to criminalize peaceful protest. This judgment sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the fundamental rights of citizens to demand accountability and good governance.

By convicting and sentencing these young citizens, the state has sent a chilling message: that peaceful dissent will not be tolerated, and that young people calling for change will be treated as criminals rather than the courageous patriots they are.

We must be clear — this is not justice. It is state repression disguised as legality.

WYSN calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all seven youths and the reversal of this unjust sentence. We also demand an independent investigation into the circumstances of their arrest, detention, and trial, particularly given that most of the defendants are minors — a fact that further underscores the cruelty and illegality of the court’s decision.

We urge the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), local and international human rights organizations, student unions, labour bodies, and all democratic forces to rise in solidarity with these young people.

The right to protest is fundamental. To criminalize it is to criminalize democracy itself.

We reiterate:
No to judicial persecution of protesters!
Free the Borno 7 now!
End Bad Governance!
Respect our democratic rights!

Signed:
Comrade Iortyom Ushahemba Moses

Secretary
Workers and Youth Solidarity Network (WYSN)