The Centre for Human and Socioeconomic Rights (CHSR) urged Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) on Sunday to end unlawful detention in the country. During a news conference in Ijaiye Lagos, the CHSR’s National President urged the IGP to investigate cases of police brutality, unlawful detention, and abuse of office power, among other violations of citizens’ rights.

The National President further noted that:

As a rights group, we have received several complaints from Nigerians across board on cases of harassment, intimidation, exploitation, favoritism and biasness from police officers. We observed in the course of discharging our duties and settling disputes, some police officers, mainly the lower cadre, engaged in actions contradicting the Nigeria Police Act and 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The CHSR also pointed out two examples of wrongful detention and misuse of authority by police officers, which resulted in severe violations of citizens’ rights. In one case, the complainant was wrongfully incarcerated for 11 weeks without a fair trial or inquiry. The National President advocated for a framework to monitor acts of abuse of office by police officers who conspire with wealthy individuals to transfer cases or receive favors.

CHSR’s request to cease human rights violations is consistent with the decision of the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued in early July. The court found that Nigerian authorities, during the 2020 EndSARS protests against police brutality, violated several provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, including the right to life, security of person, freedom of expression, assembly and association, and prohibition of torture.