The Centre for Human and Socioeconomic Rights (CHSR) has called on Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) to address instances of unlawful detention and other human rights abuses committed by police officers in the country. During a recent news conference in Ijaiye Lagos, the CHSR’s National President emphasized the urgent need to investigate cases of police brutality, unlawful detention, and abuse of office.
The CHSR noted that numerous complaints have been lodged by citizens who have experienced harassment, intimidation, exploitation, favoritism, and bias by police officers. The National President highlighted specific incidents of wrongful detention, such as a case where an individual was held for 11 weeks without a fair trial. The organization is advocating for a framework to monitor and prevent abuses of power by officers, particularly those in lower ranks, who often act in ways that violate the Nigeria Police Act and 1999 Constitution.
This call to action by the CHSR aligns with a recent decision by the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The court determined that Nigerian authorities violated several provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights during the 2020 EndSARS protests, including the right to life, security of person, and freedoms of expression, assembly, and association.
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