The Lagos House of Assembly on Monday passed an amended version of the Criminal Justice Law of the state barring the police from henceforth parading suspects before the media.
The bill was passed at a sitting presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Wasiu Eshilokun-Sanni, who held forte for the Speaker, Rt. Hon.(Dr) Mudashiru Obasa.
Section 9(A) of the newly passed bill states: “As from the commencement of this law, the police shall refrain from parading any suspect before the media.”
The bill further stipulates conditions under which a policeman can arrest without warrant one of which is that a person must be reasonably suspected to unlawfully be in possession of firearms or other such dangerous instruments.
A subsection of the bill also barred the police or any other agency from arresting a person “in lieu of any other person in a criminal matter.”
The bill adds that a person who is arrested “shall be given reasonable facilities for obtaining legal advice, bail or making arrangements for defence or release.
The bill stipulates that a suspect should be “accorded humane treatment, with the right to dignity of person; not be subjected to any form of torture, cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment; be brought before the court as prescribed by this law or any other written law; or be released conditionally or unconditionally.”
After a voice vote, the Deputy Speaker directed the acting Clerk of the House, Mr. Olalekan Onafeko, to transmit the bill to the governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for assent.
The Majority Leader, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade accompanied by the house committee Chairman on Information,security and strategy, Hon. David Setonji representing Badagry constituency II in a chat with newsmen after the plenary, expatiated more on why the act is illegal, citing the fact that a suspect until he or she is convicted can’t be declared guilty as charged.
“It shall be wrong for the police to parade suspects before media because a suspect is a suspect until the guilt is proven in a court of competent jurisdiction.
“So parading a suspect is prohibited by this law,also once assented to by Mr. Governor it shall be inappropriate for any police officer or anybody to arrest a person in lieu of the real offender, that is if somebody commits an offence and you go to his house and arrest the wife or the child, this law prohibits it.
“This provision if not heeded to and such is brought before the court, the court has powers to effect the release of the person arrested in lieu.
“Also a witness that avoids court to give evidence for the prosecution of a case makes such discontinued for want of evidence,though it may be taken up again and the prosecutor will be reported to appropriate authority.”