THE STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN NIGERIA 2005 - UNDP Nigeria ...

the visits. Without being informed of the reason for the visit, he was arrested and detained.Shino Polo was allocated a plot of land at Katampe District, Abuja in 2002, by FCDA which he sold forNine Million Naira to one Nnwaka. While the latter was processing the papers, he discovered the plot ofland had been allocated to another person. He therefore complained to the EFCC and Shino Polo wasarrested and detained for 7 days on allegation of advanced fee fraud. He was released 7 days later,after depositing the sum of 500,000 Naira with the EFCC.According to Ebo Feje of the EFCC’s legal unit, when a suspect is arrested by the EFCC, stringent bailconditions are given, and where they are cannot be perfected, the suspect is detained. He also statedthat the earliest period a suspect is taken to court is within one month of arrest and this depends on thegravity of the offence.RECOMMENDATIONS1) The police authority should train and enlighten its officers and men on how to handle complaintsinvolving human rights violations.2) Human rights education should be integrated into the police training curriculum and madecompulsory in police training colleges. This should also apply to training curriculum for other lawenforcement agencies and subject to annual review based on findings during the course of theyear.3) Government should facilitate the establishment of a mechanism for the payment of compensationand rendering of apology to victims of unlawful arrest, detention and other human rights violations.4) The police and other law enforcement agencies must desist from “hostage taking” 4 as a means ofcompelling the appearance of suspects.5) The police and other law enforcement agencies must desist from using torture as a basic tool forinvestigation.6) The National Assembly should provide a legal framework for criminalizing torture in Nigeria.7) The police and other law enforcement agencies should stop indiscriminate and unlawful arrest anddetention of innocent citizens as a way of investigation.8) The police and other law enforcement agencies should be sensitized on the need to use diversionoptions and non­ custodial measures for juveniles and first offenders. To this end, a mechanismshould be put in place to identify and institutionalize some diversion schemes and non –custodialmeasures suitable for the respective categories of offenders.14 Hostage taking is the practice whereby relations or acquaintances of suspects are taken into custody to compel the appearance of suspects.15