Lagos Assembly Passes Bill To Stop Parading Of Suspects

By Akinwale Kasali

The norm by the Lagos State Police Command to always parade suspects before the Media without their first being found guilty of the crime allegedly committed, has been scrapped by the Lagos State House of Assembly.

The Lagos Assembly did so on Monday, July 5th, 2021, when it 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

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.