The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Benin Branch, otherwise known as the Lion Bar, has faulted the manner the Edo State government is prosecuting its declared war on cultists, warning that justice and fairness must not be compromised in the name of fighting insecurity, neither should human life and dignity be collateral damage in the fight against cultism.
In a statement on Thursday signed by Ekama Itohan, and Emmanuel Okorie, Chairman and Secretary respectively of the NBA Benin Human Rights Committee (HRC), the association expressed deep concern over mass arrests and arraignments of young men and women allegedly linked to cult activities without adherence to due process.
The NBA noted that many of the arrested individuals are being brought before courts without credible investigations or substantial evidence, a development it warned could erode the integrity of the state’s judicial system. The NBA posited that, “The practice of remanding suspects without proof of evidence is a relic of the past and has no place in our modern legal system”.
According to the body, while it supports efforts to tackle cultism and violence, such measures must be rooted in the rule of law and must not trample on the fundamental rights of citizens. It insisted that “Our courts must remain bastions of justice and fairness, not instruments for perpetuating abuses”.
While therefore urging law enforcement agencies to carry out diligent investigations before arraigning suspects, the NBA called on the judiciary to insist on proof of evidence as mandated by the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Edo State 2018. “We must not compromise justice and fairness in the name of security,” it cautioned.
Declaring its readiness to work with stakeholders to ensure that the campaign against cultism did not lead to the victimisation of innocent individuals, the Committee expressed its readiness to work with stakeholders to ensure that the campaign against cultism did not lead to the victimisation of innocent individuals. “Human life and dignity must not be collateral damage in the fight against cultism,” the association asserted.