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Programmes

LEGAL ACCESS PROGRAMMES

HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY

INTRODUCTION

The state of civil liberties in Nigeria is, by anecdotal assessment, discouraging, notwithstanding the broad and liberal guarantees of human rights under the 1999 Constitution. Both local and international reports since 1999 confirm the fact that human rights violations are largely perpetrated by state functionaries who, under the guise of crime control and/or law enforcement, justify such violations.

The vulnerability of the poor and indigent members of the Nigeria society presents a peculiarity that has rendered civil liberties prostrate, while their inability to redress these violations have consistently reinforced impunity. Therefore, the need for an institutionalized intervention that would meet the need for enforcement of guaranteed rights was a crucial one.

CREATING ACCESS FOR VICTIMS
Access to Justice therefore formulated the LEGAL ACCESS PROGRAMME (LAP) to help address the problem besetting the marginalized persons to Justice –the essence of this programme is to reach out to the marginalized people, afford the less privileged victims of violation free legal services in defence of their guaranteed rights under the constitution.

Under the aegis of our LAP project, we have since 2001 handled so many matters and gotten judgments in the favour of indigent persons who, but for our intervention, would have been constrained from having constitutional remedies. The list of beneficiaries includes the under- listed ten cases:

  1. Mallam Abass (2001 - 2003)
  2. Olajumoke Akinseye (2003- 2008)
  3. Augustine Igbokwe (2002- 2008)
  4. Obiagulu Osandu (2003 - 2007)
  5. Theophillus Uwalaka& Solomon Sabi (2005 - 2006)
  6. Samson Adekoya (2008)
  7. Joseph Adumekwe (2008)
  8. Ngozi Emecheta (2008)
  9. NIMASA WORKERS (2008).

However, a summary of 5 of the selected cases is given below:

  1. Mr. Samson Adeleke Adekoya died while in Police Custody, although facts as to his death are yet to be ascertained, because, Police is yet to release his corpse. We filed a writ of Habeas Corpus at the Federal High Court Lagos against the Inspector General of Police & 2 Ors - asking that an order be made to produce the victim in court. Our Motion exparte was granted and a date is fixed for hearing of the Motion on Notice.

clip1  clip2        clip3

a                                                            b                                                  c

a.Mr.Adewale Adekoya, the elder brother of Samson Adekoya and a press woman during a press conference held in respect of Samson Adekoya.

b. Mr.Samson Adeleke Adekoya

c.Mr Leonard Dibia (Left), Mr Joseph Otteh – Executive Director Access to Justice (middle) and Mrs Chinelo Chinweze (right) addressing the press in respect of Samson Adekoya’s case

  1. Ngozi Emecheta: is a mother of two kids whose right of freedom to discrimination is being violated because of her being poor. The Court before whom her matter is being heard denied her fair hearing in circumstances that suggest bias in favour of the rich complainant who is a traditional ruler. Access to justice picked up her case and presently filed different court process to ensure that her right is not infringed upon and we are ensuring that the court comes to a just decision.
  2. Jumoke Akinseye: Jumoke Akinseye was a victim of extra judicial killing. Jumoke’s life was snuffed out in year 2000 by Police officers. The death of Jumoke who was a graduate of Banking and Finance was a great loss to members of her family. In order to remedy the wrong done to her family, we filed a suit at the Federal High Court Lagos against the Inspector General of Police & Ors and the suit presently at the stage of trial.
  3. Solomon Sabi Jakande: Mr Solomon was subjected to severe torture and physical injuries were inflicted on him when he was arrested for an alleged offence (diversion) by police officers. We assisted him by rendering free legal representation for him so that he can seek redress for the wrong done to him. In addition assisting him with his medical expenses we got judgement in his favour and the sum of N300,000.00 was paid to him for the bodily harm he has suffered.

    4. clip4 - Solomon Sabi Jakande

     clip5 AJ’s ED presenting a cheque of N300,000 to Mr. Solomon Sabi

  4. Julian Osondu: Mrs Osondu was murdered in cold blood by a patrol team of policemen in 2000. We filed a suit against Police authorities to remedy the wrong done to her husband, Mr Osondu and her then 7-month baby. The judgement of the court was in his favour and the sum of N10 million was awarded as damages. The said judgement sum has been paid to the husband and infant son of the deceased.

     clip6 Mr Osondu, the beneficiary of the N10m judgement sum.

Still Fighting for the Dead
On June 14, 2000, Ms. Olajumoke Akinseye, 22 – year old, banking graduate awaiting call up for the National Youth Service was shot dead by Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS) policemen at Alapere, Ketu, in Kosofe Local Government area, Lagos when policemen fired shots at the commercial bus in which she was commuting. Eyewitness of the event said that the RRS policemen rained several bullets on the mass transit bus and on the passengers. In the pandemonium, Jumoke was shot stone dead alongside two other passengers. Police officers from the Ketu Police Station later deposited the body of Ms. Jumoke Akinseye and other victims at the Ikeja General Hospital mortuary with labels fastened to their bodies identifying them as “Robbery Suspects”

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Jumoke Akinseye

After series of un-replied letters to police authorities, urging them to carry out thorough investigation into the killing of Ms. Jumoke Akinseys and requesting that the officers that perpetrated the illicit act be made to face the law. Access to Justice on behalf of the victim’s family took up the matter in 2003 and filed a lawsuit at the Lagos division of the Federal High Court. The case is presently at trial stage before Honourable Justice A. Abutu.

The enumerated cases represent a little out of the so many human violations in Nigeria and this is a problem that calls for more assistance towards a free human violation environment.

Note this : just a tip of the massive iceberg of violations in Nigeria and the crushing magnitude of this problem presents a challenge that calls for more assistance towards capacity – building.