The document, signed by Air Vice Marshal I. Sani for the Chief of Air Staff and seen by SaharaReporters reads in part, "Personnel are to desist from dehumanizing subordinates while executing disciplinary measures bearing in mind that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The Nigerian Air Force has issued disciplinary regulation, banning the detention of airmen beyond 24 hours.
This comes barely one week after SaharaReporters exposed how Sergeant Zachariah Ismaila of the Nigerian Army was detained arbitrarily for six months without being court-martialed.
On June 22, 2024, SaharaReporters reported that Sergeant Zachariah Ismaila of the Nigerian Army had been in detention for the six months without charge or trial.
His family told SaharaReporters exclusively that Ismaila, with military number 04NA/55/1882, serving under Lieutenant Colonel I.A. Manga in 29 battalion, Port Harcourt, was arrested on January 8, 2024, booked and thrown in a cell without being immediately informed of his alleged offence(s).
A source told SaharaReporters that the story rattled the top echelon of the Nigerian Air Force; considering "the zero tolerance to arbitrariness stance of the current Commander in Chief of the armed forces”.
The source said, "After reading the SaharaReporters story, the CAS (Chief of Air Staff) quickly launched an enquiry around all facilities to find out if similar cases were on the ground to avoid being embarrassed like the Army.
“Thereafter, he issued the administrative instruction, detailing guidelines for detention and treatment of airmen."
SaharaReporters learnt that this prompted the issuance of the regulation on detention and treatment of personnel of inferior rank to all base commanders, other formations and units of the Air Force.
The three-page administrative instruction which contains the regulation frowns on dehumanising treatment of personnel in detention.
The document, signed by Air Vice Marshal I. Sani for the Chief of Air Staff and seen by SaharaReporters reads in part, "Personnel are to desist from dehumanizing subordinates while executing disciplinary measures bearing in mind that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
"Arbitrarily detention should be avoided in cases that permit on-the-spot correction.
"Detention beyond 24 hours other than IHL is prohibited, however, where necessary for safety or investigation, mandatory 8 days report must be consistently forwarded to ASA as provided for by sect 122 (2) a and b of AFA (Armed Forces Act ) CAP A20 LFN 2004."
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