Lagos House of Assembly has passed an amended version of the Criminal Justice Law in the state barring police from parading suspects before the media.
The bill was passed yesterday at a sitting presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Wasiu Eshilokun-Sanni, on behalf of the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.
Section 9 (a) of the newly-passed bill states: “As from the commencement of this law, the police shall refrain from parading any suspect before the media.”
The bill further stipulates conditions under which a policeman can arrest without a warrant, one of which is that a person must be reasonably suspected to unlawfully be in possession of firearms or other such dangerous instruments.
A sub-section of the bill also barred the police or any other agency from arresting a person “in lieu of any other person in a criminal matter.”
The bill adds that a person who is arrested “shall be given reasonable facilities for obtaining legal advice, bail or making arrangement for defence or release.
The bill stipulates that a suspect should be “accorded humane treatment with the right to dignity of person; not to be subjected to any form of torture, cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment; be brought before the court as prescribed by this law or any other written law; or be released conditionally or unconditionally.”
After a voice-vote, the Deputy Speaker directed the Acting Clerk of the House, Mr. Olalekan Onafeko, to transmit the bill to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for assent.
RELATEDLY, Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Cecilia Bolaji Dada, has said the state government remains committed to the empowerment of youths and women in the state.
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Dada said this at a one-day workshop organised by the Women Development Centre at Agege yesterday.
The commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Oluyemi Kalesanwo, said the theme of the workshop, “Feminisation of Skills Acquisition and Human Capability Development Among Unemployed Women and Youths in Lagos in COVID-19 Era,” was quite apt, considering the role of women and youths as home and nation-builders.
She said there was a paradigm shift from the trend of men dominating the career profession as more women are proficient and distinctive in the formal, informal sectors and politics.
She, therefore, appealed to individuals, members of the private sector and non-governmental organisations to contribute their quota to the noble cause geared towards economic independence for women and youths.
ALSO, Director, Women Development Centre, Agege, Deola Adepoju, said that the Sanwo-Olu-led administration was committed to empowering citizens towards achieving the United Nations 17 Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs). She enjoined the participants to use the skills acquired from the workshops and empower others in their environment.
Source – https://guardian.ng/
