The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, has joined the millions of Nigerian voices crying out against police brutality and extortion in the country.
Justice Onnoghen also issued a directive stating that Chief Magistrates should periodically inspect police stations and other detention centres in their domains, to halt the growing level of citizen maltreatment by police and other security agencies.
The Special Assistant to the Chief Justice on Media, Mr. Awassam Bassey, disclosed the contents of the directive in a statement on Thursday.
Mr. Bassey also noted that the directive is said to be in a ‘Practice Direction on the Role of Magistrates in Curbing Police Brutality’ issued on Wednesday, June 20, 2018, in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. Read excerpts of the directive below:
“The Chief Judge of every state of the nation, including the Federal Capital Territory, shall direct Chief Magistrates, and, where there is no Chief Magistrate within the Police Division, designate any Magistrate for that purpose, to, at least, every month, conduct an inspection of Police Stations or other places of detention within his territorial jurisdiction other than prison.”
“The Chief Judge of every state of the nation, including the Federal Capital Territory, shall put in place appropriate mechanisms to ensure compliance with the above provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.”
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