NIGERIAN CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS CALL FOR URGENT DECONGESTION OF POLICE CELLS AND CORRECTIONAL CENTERS

We, the undersigned civil society organisations spread across Nigeria, note with satisfaction the efforts by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to ensure the observance of social distancing at police stations in Nigeria as part of measures to check the spread of COVID-19 at the police stations. We note, in particular, the IGP's directives to State and Zonal commands to avoid unnecessary arrests and detention of persons in police cells except for serious (capital) offences. 

However, we note, with serious concern, that in some states, people are still held in police cells, some for bailable offences such as misdemeanors. And for suspects held for serious offences such as capital offences, Police are not able to charge them to courts because the courts are currently shut down. 

We also note that most states have no functional testing laboratories and isolation centres, and detainees in urgent need of medical attention in those states can't access healthcare. These ones are made vulnerable to more dangers than just the likely exposure to the deadly virus.

We call on the Inspector-General of Police to order state commissioners and Divisional Police officers to ensure urgent decongestion of cells by ensuring immediate release of persons still held in custody for minor offences.

We also call on the IGP to put in place mechanisms for effective monitoring of compliance with his directives against indiscriminate arrests and detentions and ensure consequences for non-compliance. If officers continue to make indiscriminate arrests after decongestion, the detention facilities will be congested again. 

We call on Chief Magistrates in states, in fulfilment of their obligations under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015,  and in compliance with the 2019 Practice Direction of the Chief Justice of Nigeria on visits to police custody facilities to embark on inspection visits to police stations within their jurisdictions with a view to ensuring the immediate release of detainees based on established criteria, to decongest the cells and  prevent likely infection and spread of Covid-19. We also recognise the need for Magistrates to be provided with protection kits to visit these places of detention.

We call on the Hon. Attorney- General and Minister of Justice, in liaison with State Attorneys General, to also initiate steps for audit of Police cells and correctional centres, including juvenile correctional facilities, to decongest them.

We are particularly concerned about the recent riot by prisoners in Kaduna correctional centre which, as investigation reveals, was sparked by protests over conditions in the prison and fears by the inmates about possible exposure to Covid-19 infection. We are also worried about reports of brutal repression of the riots and of torture, injuries and deaths.

If Kaduna's prison situation is not properly handled, it could have a boomerang effect on other correctional centres. We call for a thorough, impartial and independent investigation into the incident and the immediate release of all persons unlawfully or unnecessarily still held in custody, in particular those held on minor offences.

We call for the immediate provision for all detainees and prisoners,  information on the spread of the virus, urgent disinfection and distribution of sanitary materials to all holding facilities, and provision and access to  running water at each facility.

Signed:

1. Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC)

2. Spaces for Change (S4C)

3. Vision Spring Initiative, Lagos

4. Social Intervention Advocacy Foundation (SIAF) 

5. Echoes of women in Africa initiative

6. Women’s Right to Education Programme (WREP)

7. Rights Enforcement and Public Law Centre (REPLACE)

8. Women’s  Rights and Health Project (WRAHP)

9. Foundation for Justice and Rehabilitation of prisoners FJRP, Lagos

10. People Against Corruption and Injustice

11. Nde Oduko Foundation - NDOF

12. Sterling Centre for Law &Development

13. Partners West Africa- Nigeria

14. Safer World Foundation

15. Amnesty International Nigeria

16. Dorothy Njemanze Foundation(DNF).

17. Women Initiative for Leadership Strategy & Innovation in Africa (Women Africa)

18. Centre for Social Transformation and Human Develeopment (CHDST) 

19. Ace and Vanguard Legal Practitioners

20.Human Rights Advocacy Group Lagos.

21. Life Wire International Foundation

22. LEDAP - Legal Defence & Assistance Project 

23. Legal Defence Against Injustice Initiative

24. Lawyers Alert

25. Daniel Ukwu Leadership Foundation (Dulf) supported

26. PEP- Public Enlightenment Projects

27. Global Rights

28. Prisoners' Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA)

29. Prisoners' Rights Advocacy Initiative (PRAI)

30. Lagos Civil Society Participation for Development (LACSOP)

31. Youth Advocates For Peace Justice And Empowerment Network (YAPJEN)

32. Centre for Transparency Advocacy, Abuja

33. Independent Advocacy Project IAP Lagos

34. Human Rights Social Development and Environmental Foundation (HURSDEF) 

35. Tap Nitiative For Citizens Development 

36. WILPF Nigeria

37. Avocats Sans Frontières France

38. CLEEN Foundation

39. Women Information Network (WINET)

40. Edo Civil Society Organisations

41. Media Initiative against Injustice, Violence and Corruption (MIIVOC)

42. House of Justice

43. Prison Fellowship

44.Democracy and Human Rights Network, DHRN

45. Community Agenda for Peace

46. Committee for the Defence of Human Right

47. Human Rights Watch

48. Alliances for Africa

49. NOPRIN

50. Nigerian Feminist Forum

51. CISLAC - Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre