The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has directed the Nigeria Police Force to discontinue the practice of parading criminal suspects before the media. This decision, aimed at protecting the rights of individuals presumed innocent until proven guilty, has been communicated to police commands across the country.
Senior police officers in the Federal Capital Territory and Lagos State Police Command confirmed that they had received directives to halt the practice. One of them, speaking anonymously, stated that the directive was issued by the Attorney General earlier in the month and that compliance was already being observed in some areas. Another senior officer in the FCT also confirmed that the police had been instructed to cease such public displays.
When contacted on the development, the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the police would issue an official statement on the matter in due course. However, as of the time of filing this report, the Special Assistant on Communication and Publicity to the Attorney General, Kamorudeen Ogundele, could not be reached for comments.
The move has been lauded by legal experts and human rights activists, who have long opposed the parading of suspects. Senior Advocate of Nigeria and prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, described the practice as unconstitutional and a violation of fundamental human rights. Citing Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Falana emphasized that every suspect is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
He further criticized the discriminatory nature of the practice, stating that while individuals accused of minor offenses such as stealing food items or mobile phones are subjected to media parades, high-profile suspects involved in corruption worth billions of naira are often shielded from public scrutiny. Falana also noted that several judgments from the ECOWAS Court and Nigerian Federal High Courts have declared the parading of suspects illegal. Despite this, the practice has continued, often leading to forced confessions that, although inadmissible in court, influence public perception and encourage mob justice.
Similarly, constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, described the parade of suspects as unnecessary and unjust. He stressed that such public shaming inflicts lasting reputational damage on individuals, many of whom may later be acquitted. He urged the Inspector General of Police to issue clear directives to all police commands to enforce the Attorney General’s directive and ensure that suspects are taken to court instead of being paraded before trial.
According to Ozekhome, the media’s role in covering legal proceedings should be limited to reporting court appearances rather than participating in the premature criminalization of suspects. He reiterated that once a matter is before the court, media coverage becomes part of the legal process, but parading suspects before trial violates their rights and should be discontinued.
The Attorney General’s directive is seen as a crucial step toward upholding the rule of law and reinforcing Nigeria’s commitment to human rights protections. However, its implementation and enforcement will be closely monitored, as previous judicial pronouncements against the practice have not been fully adhered to by law enforcement agencies.
