By Ken Chiwendu
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has warned security agents in the country against detaining suspects beyond the time stipulated in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Fagbemi urged security agents to always abide by the provisions of section 35 of the 1999 Constitution in relation to rights of suspects in their custody.
Delivering his lecture on Thursday in Abuja at the yearly lecture of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), The AGF warned that any security agents found detaining suspects beyond the period allowed by the Constitution would be severely sanctioned.
In the lecture titled, “Governance, Security, and Human Rights”, Fagbemi said, law enforcement agents must adopt due diligence before arresting anyone adding that situations where people are languishing in detention cells beyond the time allowed under the Constitution or by order of the courts, will no longer be tolerated and appropriate sanctions shall be meted out to those found guilty of contravening the laws of the land.
Fagbemi said, the government of President Bola Tinubu will not condone any reprehensible action and as the Chief Law Officer of this country, he will ensure no one tramples on the rights of another person.
“On this note, I wish to remind our law enforcement agents that they must respect the laws of the land and not keep people in detention beyond a reasonable time as stipulated in section 35 of the Constitution of the 1999 Federal Republic of Nigeria” He warned
