Nigeria: 500 persons unlawfully detained

The Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (IHRHL) has raised an alarm that over 4,500 persons are currently being unlawfully detained at Federal Prisons in Rivers State. While it viewed the plight of these persons with “deep regret,” IHRHL noted that most of these persons “have spent years ranging from one to fifteen years without any form of trial for whatever accusations levelled against them”. The Institute further noted that “section 36, sub-section 5 of our Constitution is clear and unambiguous when it provides that these persons are innocent until proven guilty by a competent law court”.