“The president has directed that these children, these minors, be released immediately,” Idris said on Monday.
At least 76 people, including 30 minors, were charged with treason and inciting a military coup after they took part in deadly August protests against economic hardship.
The minors’ arraignment sparked public outrage and criticism of the government after they were paraded in court last Friday.
Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has led to several protests in recent months that demand better opportunities and jobs for young people.
In August, protesters rallied in Abuja, the commercial capital Lagos and several other cities to show discontent with economic reforms that have led to rampant inflation and the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation in Nigeria.
Rights group Amnesty International said at least 22 people died during the demonstrations in clashes with security forces.
President Bola Tinubu has since vowed to pursue the changes, which he says are needed to keep the economy afloat.
In addition to the severe financial crisis, Nigerians are living with widespread insecurity that has damaged the farming sector, with armed gangs kidnapping residents and schoolchildren for ransom in the north.
Nigerian authorities released 29 children who have been detained for over two months and potentially faced the death penalty for their alleged participation in protests against the country’s record cost-of-living crisis following growing calls for their release.
The children, aged 14 to 17, looked excited and full of life as they waved to cameras after their release at a court in the capital, Abuja, where they stood trial. It was a stark contrast to when they were first brought to the court looking malnourished and dressed shabbily, with some collapsing out of exhaustion.
They were among more than 70 people facing charges of destruction of property, mutiny and treason, which carries the death penalty, after the August protests that shook the country and culminated in security operatives killing some demonstrators and arresting hundreds.
Ado Abdullahi, whose two sons were among the detained minors, said they never participated in the protests in their home state, Kano, and were running errands when they were arrested and taken to Abuja.
“The police just came and took them,” Abdullahi told The Associated Press as he waited for them to get home after their release.
Another parent Ikililu Sani said his son, Habibu, was at the time retrieving his motorcycle from a repair shop when he was arrested.
There had been no news of the children’s detention until their arraignment, sparking outrage and renewing concerns over deteriorating human rights in Africa’s most populous country.
Under rising pressure from activists, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu ordered their release on Monday and ordered an investigation of law enforcement agents involved in the arrest and prosecution of the children.
The police earlier defended their actions, but said Monday night it started an investigation into allegations the minors were mistreated while in custody.
Lawyers and activists urged the Nigerian government to see to the welfare of the children and provide them with educational support. The children’s release is only “the first step in the right direction,” said Marshal Abubakar, one of their counsels.
Dozens of teenagers, some as young as 14, had been held for nearly three months in a squalid detention center that houses murder suspects.
They faced treason charges and possible death sentences for alleged participation in protests against Nigeria’s government.
