ARE NIGERIANS NOT HUMANS?: A LOOK AT OUR FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTs.

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Tue 22nd Feb 2022 639

ARE NIGERIANS NOT HUMANS?: A LOOK AT OUR FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTs.

In every sane society, there are guiding principles. The people without guiding principles are like an orange release at the top of a mountain. It knocks everywhere the forces of nature plunge it until it reaches the ground.

The "Human Right Law" is a universal law that applies to all humans.

This law functions the same in any country of the world and is sanctionable by the United Nations.

Nigeria is a signatory to this law and must abide by same. Any attempt by a person or group of people to go against these laws is sanctioned by the government.

These are the basic laws which everyone is supposed to enjoy. Rich or poor, basic human rights are for all.

But in Nigeria, there have been cases of abuse of all these rights.

In fact, on a daily basis, these rights are being abused by people and groups of people which most times have gotten away with.

It begs the question, Are Nigerians Not Humans?

The law that is to protect humans isn't working here in Nigeria and the government is not saying anything about it.

Most of the human rights crimes are committed by government agencies. This may be one of the reasons it's overlooked. They're both guilty of the same offenses.

In this article, we will be looking at some of the Human Rights and how Nigerians are not enjoying them.

WHAT ARE HUMAN RIGHTS?

Human rights are principles that aim to protect all people worldwide from serious political, legal, and social violations. The right to freedom of religion, the right to a fair trial when accused of a crime, the right not to be tortured, and the right to education are all examples of human rights.

A look at some of the rights and how it has been abused in Nigeria.

Right 1. Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person.

This article only examined this one law.

Rather than defending personal safety, it focuses on protecting persons' freedom from unjustified incarceration.

You have a right to your personal freedom. This entails you cannot be imprisoned or detained without good reason.

If you are arrested, the Human Rights Act guarantees:

That you will be informed in a language you understand why you were arrested and what charges you face
That you will be taken to court promptly
That you will be granted bail (temporary release while the court process is underway)
That you will be given a fair trial, and that you will be compensated if you have been unlawfully detained.

If you looked at the list above you will agree with me that my question is right. since the law for human states as it's been interpreted above, then Nigerians are not humans or are mostly not humans.

Why did I use it Mostly? While in other quarters these laws may be observed, most people will believe that majority of Nigerians are not.

There are tens of thousands of people in detention without going to trial. Illegal detention is one of the highest crimes in Nigeria.

ARE THERE RESTRICTIONS TO THIS LAW?

Public authorities have the authority to detain you in certain circumstances as long as they follow the law. This applies, for example, if:

You've been convicted of a crime and sentenced to prison.
You have failed to comply with a court order.
There is a reasonable suspicion that you have committed a crime, or that someone is attempting to prevent you from committing a crime or from fleeing a crime.
You have a mental health condition that necessitates your detention.
You have the potential to spread sickness.
You're attempting to enter the country without permission, and
You'll be deported or extradited if you don't cooperate (sent to a country where you have been accused of a crime).

Here you have it, there are restrictions to the law, once the above conditions are satisfied, you can be detained.

What the Law actually says.

Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be deprived of his liberty save in the following cases and in accordance with a procedure prescribed by law:
- the lawful detention of a person after conviction by a competent court
- the lawful arrest or detention of a person for non-compliance with the lawful order of a court or in order to secure the fulfillment of any obligation prescribed by law
- the legitimate arrest or detention of a person for the purpose of presenting him before a competent legal authority on reasonable suspicion of having committed an offense or to prevent him from committing an offense or fleeing after having done so.
- the lawful custody of a minor for the purposes of educational supervision or the lawful detention of a minor for the purposes of bringing him before a competent legal authority.
- the legitimate confinement of people for the purpose of preventing the spread of infectious diseases, of those who are mentally ill, such as alcoholics or drug addicts, or of vagrants
- the lawful custody or arrest of a person to prevent him from making an unauthorized entry into the country, or of a person facing deportation or extradition proceedings.
Everyone who is arrested must be notified of the reasons for his arrest and any charges against him as soon as possible, in a language that he understands.
Everyone arrested or detained under the requirements of this Article's paragraph 1(c) shall be brought before a judge or other authority authorized by law to exercise judicial power as soon as possible, and shall be entitled to a speedy trial or release pending trial. Guarantees of appearance for trial could be used to condition release.
Anyone who is deprived of his liberty by arrest or imprisonment has the right to file a lawsuit in which the legality of his custody will be determined quickly by a court, and his release will be ordered if the detention is unconstitutional.
Anyone who has been the victim of unlawful arrest or detention under the terms of this Article has a legal right to compensation.

That's all there is to it for the first Human Rights Law we are treating today.
This is the first of a series of articles that will be published here. Please leave a comment and tell us about your experience. Any human rights violations you've witnessed or been a victim of.

ARE NIGERIANS NOT HUMANS?