Falana SAN Commends Lagos Assembly On Outlawing Media Parade Of Suspects

Human Rights Activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has commended the
Lagos State House of Assembly for unanimously passing an amended
version of the state’s Criminal Justice Law, which barred the
police from henceforth parading suspects before the media.

Falana also urged the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide
Sanwo-Olu, to speedily assent to the bill.

The senior advocate, in a statement he issued yesterday, singled
out Section 9(A) of the newly passed bill which stated that “as
from the commencement of this law, the police shall refrain from
parading any suspect before the media,” for commendation.

The bill, according to him, has adopted the provisions of the
Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 on the humane
treatment of criminal suspects, and has also outlawed the
discriminatory and illegal parade of criminal suspects by law
enforcement officers in the state.

Falana said the practice of parading suspects was illegal, as it
constitutes a gross violation of the fundamental rights of criminal
suspects to presumption of innocence as guaranteed by Section 36 of
the Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and
Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap A9, Laws of
the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

He also noted that the act of parading suspects was equally
discriminatory as only lowly placed criminal suspects were exposed
to media parades by the police and other law enforcement
agencies.

He said: “For instance, while poor suspects are paraded for
allegedly stealing tubers of yam or telephone handsets valued at
N10,000 or less, politically exposed persons accused of looting the
public treasury to the tune of N10 billion or more are never
paraded before the media.”

Falana said that though incriminating statements procured from
criminal suspects during media parade were not admissible during
trial in criminal courts, they were used by law enforcement
agencies to compel members of the public to participate in mob
justice.

He said they were also used to blackmail judges to convict
criminal suspects with or without evidence adduced by the
prosecution.

“But for the culture of impunity which permeates the entire
society the illegal policy would have been stopped as the Court of
Justice of the Economic Community of West African States and
Nigerian courts have repeatedly condemned the media parade of
criminal suspects by the police and other law enforcement
agencies.”

He concluded that it was indisputable that the bill was in line
with the terms of the judgments of regional and municipal courts
while also urging the state governor to assent to the bill without
delay.

“In view of the clear and unambiguous provisions of the
constitution and the African Charter and having regard to the
aforementioned judicial authorities we are compelled to urge the
Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to assent to the
bill without any delay.”

Human Rights Activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has commended the
Lagos State House of Assembly for unanimously passing an amended
version of the state’s Criminal Justice Law, which barred the
police from henceforth parading suspects before the media.

Falana also urged the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide
Sanwo-Olu, to speedily assent to the bill.

The senior advocate, in a statement he issued yesterday, singled
out Section 9(A) of the newly passed bill which stated that “as
from the commencement of this law, the police shall refrain from
parading any suspect before the media,” for commendation.

The bill, according to him, has adopted the provisions of the
Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 on the humane
treatment of criminal suspects, and has also outlawed the
discriminatory and illegal parade of criminal suspects by law
enforcement officers in the state.

Falana said the practice of parading suspects was illegal, as it
constitutes a gross violation of the fundamental rights of criminal
suspects to presumption of innocence as guaranteed by Section 36 of
the Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and
Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap A9, Laws of
the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

He also noted that the act of parading suspects was equally
discriminatory as only lowly placed criminal suspects were exposed
to media parades by the police and other law enforcement
agencies.

He said: “For instance, while poor suspects are paraded for
allegedly stealing tubers of yam or telephone handsets valued at
N10,000 or less, politically exposed persons accused of looting the
public treasury to the tune of N10 billion or more are never
paraded before the media.”

Falana said that though incriminating statements procured from
criminal suspects during media parade were not admissible during
trial in criminal courts, they were used by law enforcement
agencies to compel members of the public to participate in mob
justice.

He said they were also used to blackmail judges to convict
criminal suspects with or without evidence adduced by the
prosecution.

“But for the culture of impunity which permeates the entire
society the illegal policy would have been stopped as the Court of
Justice of the Economic Community of West African States and
Nigerian courts have repeatedly condemned the media parade of
criminal suspects by the police and other law enforcement
agencies.”

He concluded that it was indisputable that the bill was in line
with the terms of the judgments of regional and municipal courts
while also urging the state governor to assent to the bill without
delay.

“In view of the clear and unambiguous provisions of the
constitution and the African Charter and having regard to the
aforementioned judicial authorities we are compelled to urge the
Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to assent to the
bill without any delay.”