By Hauwa’u Sani
The House of Representatives is pushing a legislative amendment that would outlaw the public parade of suspects by security agencies across the country.
The move follows years of condemnation from human rights groups, civil society organisations and the judiciary, who have argued that the practice violates fundamental rights and undermines the justice system.
The proposal is part of the recommendations adopted by the House Committee on Constitution Review, chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu. The amendment is expected to be debated when the National Assembly reconvenes from the Christmas and New Year recess.
At the centre of the proposal is an alteration to Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees the right to dignity of the human person. The amendment seeks to clarify what constitutes torture, inhuman or degrading treatment. A new subsection would explicitly prohibit the public parade of arrested persons.