Adeyanju, however, said the ongoing trials should not obscure the plight of thousands of other suspects who have remained in detention for years without being charged to court.
In a statement issued in Friday, the lawyer said while the decision to arraign terrorism suspects before courts of competent jurisdiction deserves commendation, “it must however be noted that more than 20,000 other suspects languish in various detention camps across the country.”
According to him, many of those suspects have remained in custody for over 15 years, a development he described as a gross violation of both the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights standards.
“Adeyanju said, “while the new move to charge terrorism suspects before various courts of competent jurisdiction is commendable, it must however be noted that more than 20,000 other suspects languish in various detention camps across the country.
“Some of these suspects have been in custody for more than fifteen years in many cases and this violates the Constitution and human rights laws.”
He stressed that the constitutional rights of every suspect must be respected irrespective of the nature of the allegations against them, insisting that prolonged detention without trial undermines the country’s justice system and the rule of law.
The human rights lawyer also called for the immediate closure of the Wawa Barracks detention facility in Niger State, alleging that detainees regularly die at the facility due to poor detention conditions.
Additionally, Adeyanju described the facility as one of the worst detention centres on the African continent, alleging that terror suspects held there frequently die as a result of starvation and inadequate medical care.
He said, “The notorious detention facility, Wawa Barracks in Niger State where terror suspects die regularly due to poor detention conditions, starvation and lack of adequate medical care… is one of the worst detention facilities on the continent.”
Adeyanju urged the Federal Government to urgently address the conditions in detention facilities across the country, insisting that the fight against terrorism must be conducted within the bounds of the Constitution and respect for fundamental human rights.
He maintained that while prosecuting terrorism suspects is necessary for national security, justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done through timely trials and humane treatment of detainees.
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