CITAD Wants Nigerian Police to End Unlawful Detention of Citizens
By Abbas Badmus
TECHDIGEST – The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has called on Nigerian security agencies, especially the Nigerian Police Force, to put an end to the arbitrary arrest and detention of citizens for exercising their fundamental human rights, as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
CITAD Program Officer, Mr Ali Sabo, disclosed this in a press conference in Kano State.
He said section (IV) sub section (c) of the Nigerian constitution prohibits any security agency from unlawful arrest, incarceration or detention of the citizens without following due process.
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“What we are witnessing today in Nigeria is clearly contrary to what the Nigerian constitution has provided and these acts by the Nigerian security agencies if not checked and addressed will flung the country into anarchy and will negate the principles of democracy which is being practiced in Nigeria enshrined in the 1999 constitution as amended.
“you will remember that in the months of November and December we did organize similar press conferences during which we drew the attention of the Nigerian authority about the negative implications of these arbitrary arrests and detentions of the citizens to the country’s image in the comity of nations and to our young democracy,” Sabo added.
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He further explained criticism is part and parcel of any democracy and it is one of the cardinal pillars through which democracy is being build, but “this government in many occasions has displayed arrogance, impunity and lack of tolerance where at any slight instances has ordered the arrest of the citizens for excising their fundamental human rights.
” you may recalled that in the month of November, 2022, the Nigeria Police on the orders of the wife of the president arrested and detained a 500 level student of Federal University, Dutse, Aminu Adamu for merely excising his rights online. He was held for days without being allowed access to his family or his lawyers.
“Also on the 11th of December, 2022, a minor named Umar Garba was arrested in Nguru Local Government Area, Yobe State over an alleged defamation of character of the Yobe State Governor, Maimala Buni. The boy was held captive by the Nigeria Police for more than two weeks without a court order or any arrest warrant. Similarly, the boy was not taken to court.
“These impunity being excised by the Nigerian politicians has transformed to another level to the extent that citizens are being deprived their fundamental human rights to speak about things that concern them and their country and interrogate their representatives without being harassed by the security agencies.
“The Nigeria Police should avoid the unlawful detention of the citizens and ensure every arrest made is with an order of a competent court.
“Anybody arrested for any offence shall be taken to court within specified period of time as in the Nigeria constitution”.
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