By Uthman Baba-Naseer,Minna<\/p>\n
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Minna Branch, has called for a prompt, thorough, transparent and independent investigation into the reported deaths of several persons detained at a facility of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.<\/p>\n
The NBA, in a statement issued by its chairman Minna branch Ibrahim Muhammad Ndamitso Esq, expressed profound sadness and concern over the incident, saying the loss of lives in custody was a matter of utmost seriousness.<\/p>\n
Ndamitso said while the exact circumstances surrounding the incident, including the number and identities of the deceased and the immediate causes of their deaths, were yet to be conclusively established, the reports raised serious concerns about the conditions under which the affected persons were detained.<\/p>\n
He extended its condolences to the families, relatives and loved ones of those who reportedly lost their lives, praying for the peaceful repose of the deceased and strength for their bereaved families.<\/p>\n
The NBA Chairman stressed that the deprivation of liberty does not remove a person’s fundamental human dignity, noting that persons in custody remain entitled to humane treatment and protection of their fundamental rights under the Constitution and other applicable laws.<\/p>\n
He particularly emphasised the constitutional right to dignity of the human person, which prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment, adding that authorities responsible for custodial facilities have a corresponding duty to protect the lives, health, safety and dignity of detainees.<\/p>\n
The Branch Chairman called on the relevant authorities to establish the exact number and identities of those who died, as well as the condition and whereabouts of other persons detained at the facility, subject to legal and privacy safeguards.
\nIt also demanded appropriate forensic and medical examinations, including autopsies where necessary, to establish the immediate and underlying causes of death.<\/p>\n
Ibrahim Muhammad Ndamitso further urged authorities to investigate the conditions at the facility, including ventilation, sanitation, food and water supply, medical attention, accommodation, security and the general welfare of detainees.<\/p>\n
The NBA Chairman said the investigation should also establish the legal basis for the arrest and detention of the affected persons, the duration of their detention and whether constitutional and statutory safeguards were observed.
\nIt called for the preservation of all relevant evidence, including custody registers, arrest and medical records, CCTV footage where available, officers’ duty records and other materials that could assist the investigation.<\/p>\n
He further urged authorities to hold accountable, in accordance with the law, anyone found to have acted unlawfully, negligently or in breach of established custodial standards.<\/p>\n
He also called for an immediate review of custodial facilities across Niger State to prevent a recurrence and urged authorities to ensure that the families of the deceased were treated with dignity, kept informed and provided with all lawful assistance required to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.<\/p>\n
Ndamitso cautioned against detaining anyone merely on the basis of a label or allegation without complying with the law.
\nIt specifically said describing the affected persons as \u201cillegal miners\u201d could not, in itself, dispense with constitutional and statutory safeguards governing arrest, detention and the treatment of persons in custody.<\/p>\n
The Chairman acknowledged the legitimate responsibility of law-enforcement and security agencies to combat illegal mining and other criminal activities in Niger State, but stressed that enforcement must be carried out within the limits of the Constitution and other applicable laws.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fight against crime cannot be divorced from the obligation to protect human life and dignity,\u201d the NBA Chairman said.<\/p>\n
He also appealed to members of the public to remain calm and avoid actions capable of undermining the investigation or disrupting public order.<\/p>\n
The Minna Branch Chairman said it remained ready, within the limits of its mandate, to support lawful efforts aimed at establishing the facts, protecting fundamental rights, securing justice for the deceased and their families, and ensuring appropriate remedial measures where necessary.<\/p>\n
He reiterated that human life is sacred and that while liberty may lawfully be restrained, human dignity must never be extinguished.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Uthman Baba-Naseer,Minna The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Minna Branch, has called for a prompt, thorough, transparent and independent investigation into the reported deaths of several persons detained at a facility of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State. The NBA, in a statement issued by its chairman Minna branch […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6195,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-law-crime"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17732","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17732"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17732\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17773,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17732\/revisions\/17773"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17732"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17732"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}