Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer has urged the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, to issue a stern directive to all law enforcement agencies to desist from illegal parade and extra-judicial killing of suspects without trial.
Falana who spoke to journalists in Lagos on Tuesday said “In spite of the presumption of innocence, which insures in favour of criminal suspects by virtue of Section 36 of the Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights Act, the law enforcement agencies in Nigeria have continued to expose accused persons to media trial before arraigning them in courts.
“By subjecting suspects to media trial before arraignment in a criminal court, their fundamental rights to fair hearing and the dignity of their persons are infringed upon.”
He also added that only poor people were paraded by the police and the act is aimed at oppressing the poor, he said “Apart from exposing the country to unwarranted ridicule before the international community, the Federal Government has continued to waste scarce resources on payments of judgment debts for criminal actions of some lawless enforcement officers.”
He described journalists who cover such as overzealous and irresponsible.
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