By Adewole Kehinde
“Cooperation and respect for each other will advance the cause of human rights worldwide. Confrontation, vilification, and double standards will not” – Robert Mugabe
Fundamental human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that are inherently entitled to all individuals, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, or any other status.
These rights are considered essential for the dignity and worth of every person and form the foundation for justice, peace, and equality in society.
Key characteristics of fundamental human rights include universality, inalienability, indivisibility, and equality and non-discrimination.
Of concern to me are the right to a fair trial and the right to privacy.
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.
In fact, there are five judgements from both the ECOWAS Court and Federal High Courts affirming that the parade of suspects is unlawful.
There are cases where the parade of suspects has caused permanent reputational damage to individuals who are later found innocent.
On February 18, 2025, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi directed the Nigeria Police Force 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.
In line with the directive of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, communicated to all commands and zones within the police force to ensure strict adherence to the directive.
The IGP has reaffirmed the existing directive that prohibits the public parading of criminal suspects before official charges are filed in a court of law. This commitment aims to preserve the fundamental human rights of every person and adhere to worldwide best practices in policing.
There is no doubt that the Nigeria Police under IGP Egbetokun is dedicated to upholding the law and encouraging its officers to respect human rights.
The decision to end the parade of suspects aligns with international best practices and reinforces Nigeria’s commitment to upholding human rights, particularly the principle that suspects remain innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Respecting the rights of all citizens is fundamental to promoting a fair, just, and equitable society. Here are some key objectives associated with this principle:
The Nigeria police will remain resolute in its duty to protect lives and property while respecting the rights of all citizens through promoting equality and non-discrimination, fostering social cohesion, encouraging civic participation, protecting individual freedoms, enhancing human dignity, strengthening the rule of law, facilitating peaceful conflict resolution, educating and raising awareness, and building a stronger democracy.
Adewole Kehinde is the publisher of Swift Reporters. 08166240846. kennyadewole@gmail.com @kennyadewole
