Renowned human rights lawyer Femi Falana SAN has stated that Nigerian police can no longer legally detain suspects for extended periods without notifying their families or providing access to legal representation. Speaking at a prosecutor training workshop in Kano, the senior advocate emphasized that recent legal reforms now require law enforcement to immediately inform families when someone is arrested and guarantee suspects’ right to counsel from the moment of detention.
Falana explained, “Under the law, police must contact the family to notify them the suspect is in custody, so relatives won’t think their loved one has been kidnapped. You could be locked up for one week or more with no contact – that is no longer permissible.” He stressed that even indigent suspects have the right to demand free legal representation through the Legal Aid Council during police interrogation.
The legal luminary highlighted the stark justice inequality in Nigeria, noting how the wealthy easily access legal services while the poor suffer. “The rich can say ‘meet me in court’ and instruct their lawyers, but the poor simply say ‘God will judge,'” Falana observed. He called for establishing public defender offices in all 44 local governments of Kano State to mirror Lagos State’s model, ensuring equal access to justice.
Falana’s intervention comes amid growing scrutiny of police practices following Nigeria’s criminal justice reforms. He urged citizens to assert their rights and demanded proper government funding for legal aid institutions to protect the vulnerable from unlawful detention and prosecutorial abuses.
