Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkami Fagbemi, has warned security agents against detaining suspects beyond the time allowed by law. He emphasized the need for security agents to abide by Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, which protects the rights of suspects in custody.
Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), delivered the warning at the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) yearly lecture in Abuja. He stressed that any security agent found detaining suspects beyond the constitutionally allowed period would face severe sanctions.
The AGF’s lecture, “Governance, Security, and Human Rights,” highlighted the importance of upholding human rights in the face of security challenges. He emphasized that law enforcement agents must do their due diligence before arresting anyone and that the government would not tolerate situations where people are languishing in detention cells beyond the time allowed by law.
Fagbemi assured that the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would not condone any reprehensible actions and that he would ensure that no one tramples on another person’s rights. He reminded law enforcement agents to respect the laws of the land and not keep people in detention beyond a reasonable time.
