President Bola Tinubu has ordered the release of minors detained over their involvement in the #EndBadGovernance protests, which has captured national attention.

The order however, has sparked a humanitarian appeal as well as a fierce debate over executive authority in judicial matters.

Last week, the situation reached a tipping point when some minors, part of a larger group of 76 individuals facing charges of treason for their participation in the protest, reportedly fainted in court. The visibly frail appearance of many detainees intensified public outcry and drew urgent calls for government intervention.

On Monday, President Bola Tinubu directed Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi to ensure the immediate release of these minors, citing a commitment to human rights.

Minister of Information Mohammed Idris relayed the order to State House correspondents, stating that the president had asked for an immediate response, “without prejudice to whatever legal processes” had been initiated.

“The president has directed the immediate release of all the minors that have been arrested by the Nigerian police,” Idris said, adding, “because of his very deep commitment to democracy and the rule of law, and without prejudice also to whatever legal processes are ongoing.”

He added that Tinubu was motivated by humanitarian concerns, as images of malnourished, ill minors circulated widely on social media, drawing public sympathy.

The Backstory

For context, the #EndBadGovernance protests were spurred by the rising economic hardship across the country. Beginning in August, a 10-day nationwide demonstration brought thousands of Nigerians into the streets, with protesters calling attention to skyrocketing inflation and dwindling economic opportunities. However, the movement took a turbulent turn as some protests escalated into violent clashes, particularly in northern states, where protesters were seen waving Russian flags in symbolic opposition to the Nigerian government.

On November 1, the federal government responded by arraigning 76 individuals accused of participating in the protests, charging them with treason—a move that marked a harsh response to public dissent. Among those arraigned, a significant number were minors, some of whom appeared weak and malnourished during the proceedings. Reports from the courtroom indicated that at least four minors collapsed from exhaustion, shocking observers and heightening public concern over the conditions of their detention.

Addressing Broader Issues

To address the perceived unjust treatment, Tinubu’s order includes further instructions aimed at ensuring the well-being of the minors. Minister Idris announced that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction has been tasked with their immediate care and reintegration into society.

“The president has also directed the ministry of humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction to immediately see to the welfare of those minors, and also ensure their smooth reunion with their parents or guardians, wherever they are in the country,” he said.

Tinubu has also called for a thorough examination of the entire process leading to their detention, mandating that a committee be formed to investigate their treatment and the actions of law enforcement.

“Number three, the president has directed that a committee will be set up immediately to be headed by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs,” Idris explained. “It is actually an administrative committee to look at all issues surrounding the arrest, detention, the treatment, and finally, the release of these young minors.”

The president has ordered a review of law enforcement agencies’ roles in the arrests, emphasizing accountability and transparency.

“The president has also directed that all the law enforcement agents involved in the arrest and the legal processes will be investigated,” Idris stated, “and if there are any infractions, found to have been committed by any official of government, be him a law enforcement agent, or whoever that person is, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against him or her.”

How can he order their release when they were remanded by the court?

The outpouring of responses across social media has been both supportive and skeptical. Some Nigerians applauded Tinubu’s compassionate move in response to the public’s humanitarian concerns. Others, however, have voiced apprehensions that this intervention may be an act of populism that overlooks due process and could set a dangerous precedent for executive interference in judicial matters.

The optics of a president ordering a judicial decision without going through formal channels has sparked concern among legal experts and citizens alike about the long-term impact on the rule of law in Nigeria.

Many believe that the President’s directive has once again, raised significant legal questions regarding the separation of powers. In Nigeria’s democratic system, it is typically the judiciary’s responsibility to determine the legal status and custody of individuals facing criminal charges.

Human rights lawyer Chidi Odinkalu criticized the president’s action, suggesting that Tinubu’s order could undermine judicial independence.

“Nigeria is at an impressive pass: a judge who clearly had power in law chose to impress the president rather than do right by law,” Odinkalu remarked. “A president who clearly lacks the power in law chooses for the sake of populism to order a judge in a way he should not.”

Dangote Refinery has announced it is selling petrol at N960 per liter for ship sales and N990 per liter for truck sales, following a recent pricing controversy buoyed by independent petroleum marketers.

These prices, according to the refinery’s spokesperson, Anthony Chiejina, are aligned with international rates to maintain quality standards, and are intended to be competitive in comparison to import prices.

This announcement was made following claims by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), represented by National Assistant Secretary Yakubu Suleiman, that the refinery’s fuel prices are significantly higher than those of other suppliers.

Speaking on Arise TV, Suleiman noted the refinery’s pricing as problematic, particularly given recent global crude price declines. He stated, “Last week, Dangote’s price is higher than other places. Because if you can go by the price, the international price of crude has already started coming down. If I could remember, as of last week, he gave N995 per litre, and you have to bring your cargo and load.”

Suleiman pointed out that the added logistics costs for independent marketers further raise the end price of fuel, impacting Nigerian consumers directly.

“How much will you pay for the cargo? And how much will go to the depot? And you expect independent marketers to go and sell it. Can we go and sell? Look, we have to pity Nigerians,” he added.

Dangote Refinery issued a statement on Sunday, defending its pricing model. Chiejina argued that the refinery benchmarks prices against international standards to ensure competitiveness and maintain product quality. He also questioned the quality of any imported fuel that could be sold at lower prices than those offered by Dangote Refinery, suggesting that such products might be substandard.

“If anyone claims they can land petrol at a price cheaper than the price Dangote is selling, then they are importing substandard products and conniving with international traders to dump low-quality products into the country, without concerns for the health of Nigerians or the longevity of their vehicles,” he asserted.

The refinery further claimed that Nigeria’s regulatory authority, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), lacks the laboratory facilities necessary to detect these low-grade imports, making it challenging to ensure fuel quality in the market.

“Post deregulation, NNPC set the pace by selling PMS to domestic marketers at N971 per liter for sale into ships and at N990 for sale into trucks. This set the benchmark for our pricing and we have even gone lower to sell at N960 per liter for sale into ships while maintaining N990 per liter for sale into trucks,” Chiejina clarified.

Additionally, Chiejina revealed that an international trading company has leased a depot next to the Dangote Refinery, allegedly to blend substandard products intended to compete with Dangote’s offerings. This, he warned, is a move to undermine domestic refining efforts and jeopardizes the country’s aim to boost local production capabilities.

“While we continue with our determination to provide affordable, good quality, domestically refined petroleum products in Nigeria, we call on the public to disregard the deliberate disinformation being circulated by agents of people who prefer for us to continue to export jobs and import poverty,” he added.

The refinery also argued that its pricing is influenced by global trends, similar to other countries that protect domestic industries. Chiejina pointed to the U.S. and European Union’s use of tariffs on certain goods, such as electric vehicles and microchips, to support local production and employment.

The back-and-forth with marketers follows comments from Aliko Dangote himself last Tuesday, in which he emphasized the refinery’s readiness to supply the local market, revealing that it currently has over 500 million liters of petrol in stock. Dangote expressed frustration over marketers’ hesitation to source fuel domestically, questioning why NNPC and other retailers continue to rely on imports.

“So, I am expecting that the NNPC Ltd and the marketers should stop importing; they should come and collect what they need,” he stated, adding that this would leverage the refinery’s 650,000 barrels-per-day output.

Despite Dangote’s assurance of supply, industry reports indicate a gap in delivery. Between September 15 and October 5, the refinery supplied only 148 million liters, significantly less than the 575 million liters sought by NNPC Ltd, according to a report by the NMDPRA. This shortfall has led some industry analysts to speculate that the refinery’s operations may still be stabilizing, a norm for a large-scale facility recently entering production.

Last Thursday, Dangote Refinery also noted that IPMAN had not made any payments for refined products, refuting claims that the marketers were unable to load petrol for days. This dispute underscores broader challenges in Nigeria’s post-deregulation market, where local refiners like Dangote are expected to play an essential role in replacing imports while ensuring fuel affordability.

As the dust settles, questions linger on how Dangote Refinery’s pricing model will affect the local market in the long term, with concerns about the feasibility of relying on a single refinery for nationwide supply. IPMAN has yet to formally respond to Dangote Refinery’s statement, but the disagreement highlights persistent tensions between local production costs and the affordability needs of consumers in a country grappling with high inflation and volatile currency exchange rates.

Many questions and comments on how to act to become ready after the piece on “You’re Ready”. Let me respond in a simple way: get things done, and get your job done professionally right. If you pursue excellence, and make it evident creatively, your options will widen in the world of the market system. Simply, strive to be the best you can, and where talent fails you, put more effort. As you do that, have awareness that no matter what you have accomplished, no worker in a decent company  is indispensable.

What do I mean? Do not be carried away because you’re wearing any company’s badge. Do not allow a company to define your personality, as the risk is that any day you leave that company, you will be worth nothing. Try to project a positive professional personality because if you get that right, your personal brand will outlive any associated company. They will remember you before they remember the badge.  (Some people delete their LinkedIn profiles when they lose their jobs because the job was them! Do not be like them. There is no job you are holding that someone has not resigned from!)

Companies make promises, but do not bank on them blindly. Period, companies have no kids; only families do! Work hard and offer value but stay professionally focused.  But do not fall on the illusion that your company is your family.

Remember in the past, resumes and CVs were “personal confidential” documents, but when companies started firing people recklessly, LinkedIn gave professionals a way for revenge. Yes, why keep that resume private when if you post it on LinkedIn, you could advertise yourself just in case? The peerless wordsmith, Chinua Achebe, wrote: ‘Eneke the bird says that since men have learned to shoot without missing, he has learned to fly without perching.’

Part of becoming ready is doing all to be in charge of your career, and not allowing companies to toss your future around, even as you do all to rise to the occasions to lead and manage when called. I do not want you to lose focus at work especially in American companies where a bad quarter can send thousands packing.