Adeyanju commends terrorism prosecutions, demands justice for 20,000 detainees

Human rights lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, has praised the Federal Government and the Department of State Services (DSS) for arraigning terrorism suspects before courts across the country, describing the development as a step towards upholding constitutional provisions.

In a statement, Adeyanju said the decision to prosecute terror suspects through courts of competent jurisdiction demonstrates compliance with the rule of law and constitutional requirements.

However, he expressed concern that over 20,000 terrorism suspects are still being held in detention facilities nationwide without trial. According to him, many of the detainees have remained in custody for more than 15 years, a situation he said violates both the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights standards.

The lawyer also called on the Federal Government to shut down the Wawa Barracks detention facility in Niger State, alleging that inmates at the facility frequently die due to starvation, inadequate medical care, and poor detention conditions.

Adeyanju described Wawa Barracks as one of the worst detention centres on the African continent and urged authorities to address the conditions while ensuring that all detainees are either promptly prosecuted or released in accordance with the law.