The prolonged detention of a Lagos-based citizen, Aminu Yerima, for over two months by the Nigerian police without charges is a violation of his rights to personal liberty.
Development Diaries reports that Yerima was apprehended by police officers at his Nasarawa State home on Thursday, 02 November, 2023, and was then transported to the police headquarters in Abuja.
According to a report by Punch, we understood that he has been detained in the facility without being granted bail or being charged. This is a violation of his rights to personal liberty as a citizen.
Section 35 of the Nigerian constitution guarantees the right to personal liberty for every Nigerian.
‘Every person shall be entitled to his personal liberty and no person shall be deprived of such liberty save in the following cases and in accordance with a procedure permitted by law – in execution of the sentence or order of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty’, it read.
If Yerima has not been charged with any crime, found guilty, and sentenced on the order of a court, the police have no right to hold him in detention.
The Nigerian police play a crucial role in upholding the rule of law and protecting citizens’ rights. However, prolonged detention without due process not only infringes upon an individual’s right to a fair and timely trial, but it also poses a serious risk of abuse of power and potential miscarriage of justice.
Detaining people for extended periods without promptly presenting them with court charges or initiating sentencing proceedings raises significant concerns about the violation of basic human rights by the authority that ought to uphold these rights.
Also, Yerima’s prolonged detention further reduces the public’s trust in the police and respect for the rule of law in the country, threatening citizens’ active participation in governance, and this might lead to their inability to support the police in combating crime.
Development Diaries calls on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to order the immediate release of Yerima or charge him to court as required by law.
Photo source: Punch
