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Olugbemi. Adeyinka Ogunleye
4 days ago
Overview
FG Orders Nigeria Police Force To Stop Parading Suspects
Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, has directed the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to discontinue the public parade of criminal suspects.The directive, which took effect on Sunday, marks a significant shift in law enforcement procedures across the country. Confirming the development, The Deputy Force Public Relations Officer and the Commissioner of Police at the National Cyber Crime Center held a joint briefing without presenting any suspects. Journalists seeking the usual parade were informed that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) had enforced the AGF’s directive.
“In cases like that of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), where most of the individuals paraded are suspected vandals, the appropriate approach now is to present the vandalised items to journalists while providing a detailed briefing,” a senior officer explained. This new method will involve sharing a list of suspects and the circumstances surrounding their arrests without subjecting individuals to public exposure.
Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, welcomed the move, describing the practice of parading suspects as illegal and discriminatory. “The public parade of suspects violates the fundamental right to the presumption of innocence guaranteed by Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights”, Falana said. He noted that while individuals accused of minor offenses like stealing a phone are often paraded, politically exposed persons implicated in large-scale corruption are rarely subjected to such public exposure.
More: https://businessday.ng/news/article/fg-considers-human-rights-bans-parade-of-criminal-suspects/
