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COVID-19: Nigerian Civil Society Groups Call For Decongestion Of Police Cells And Correctional Centres

The CSO's in a statement on Friday called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to ensure the observance of social distancing at police stations across Nigeria.

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Fifty one civil society organisations have called on the Nigerian Government to decongest police cells and correctional centres to prevent the spread of Coronavirus in the country. 

The CSO's in a statement on Friday called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to ensure the observance of social distancing at police stations across Nigeria.

Expressing worry, the group said police cells still hold people for bailable offences such as misdemeanours while suspects held for serious offences such as capital offences are not charged to court because the courts are currently shut down over the outbreak of the virus.

The group said, “We also note that most states have no functional testing laboratories and isolation centres, and detainees in urgent need of medical attention in those states can't access healthcare. These ones are made vulnerable to more dangers than just the likely exposure to the deadly virus.

“We call on the Inspector-General of Police to order state commissioners and divisional police officers to ensure urgent decongestion of cells by ensuring immediate release of persons still held in custody for minor offences.”

The groups, who made the call include Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, Spaces for Change, Vision Spring Initiative, Lagos, Social Intervention Advocacy Foundation, Echoes of Women in Africa Initiative, Women’s Right to Education Programme, Rights Enforcement and Public Law Centre, Women’s Rights and Health Project, Foundation for Justice and Rehabilitation of prisoners FJRP, Lagos, People Against Corruption and Injustice, Nde Oduko Foundation, Sterling Centre for Law and Development and Partners West Africa.

Others are Safer World Foundation, Amnesty International Nigeria, Dorothy Njemanze Foundation, Women Initiative for Leadership Strategy and Innovation in Africa, Centre for Social Transformation and Human Development, Ace and Vanguard Legal Practitioners, Human Rights Advocacy Group Lagos, Life Wire International Foundation, Legal Defence and Assistance Project, Legal Defence Against Injustice Initiative, Lawyers Alert, Daniel Ukwu Leadership Foundation, Public Enlightenment Projects, Global Rights and Prisoners' Rehabilitation and Welfare Action among others.

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