Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday passed an amended version of the Criminal Justice Law of the State which barred the police from parading suspects before the media.
The bill was passed at a sitting presided over by Deputy Speaker, Wasiu Eshilokun-Sanni.
According to Section 9(A) bill: “As from the commencement of this law, the police shall refrain from parading any suspect before the media.”
The bill also provided conditions upon which a police officer can arrest suspects without warrant.
One of such conditions is that a person must be reasonably suspected to unlawfully be in possession of firearms or other such dangerous instruments.
A subsection 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 added that a person who is arrested “shall be given reasonable facilities for obtaining legal advice, bail or making arrangements for defence or release.
“A suspect should also be ‘accorded humane treatment, with the right to dignity of person; not 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, Olalekan Onafeko, to transmit the bill to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for assent.
