By Sarah Asake
Kaduna
The CLEEN Foundation has raised alarm over the continued violation of citizens’ rights in Nigeria, despite the adoption of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) by 12 states across the country.
The warning is contained in a policy brief released in Kaduna on Friday, December 11, 2025, which states that unlawful arrests, arbitrary detention, and other abuses outlawed under the ACJL remain widespread due to weak enforcement and low public awareness.
The states assessed in the report are Adamawa, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, Ekiti, Lagos, Enugu, Imo, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River.
According to the report, although 86 per cent of justice sector officials surveyed said they understand the provisions of the ACJL, citizens continue to experience practices the law was designed to eliminate.
One of the key concerns highlighted is the persistence of “arrest in lieu,” a practice where law enforcement agencies detain relatives or associates of suspects instead of the actual individuals being sought. The Foundation noted that the practice, which is expressly prohibited under the ACJL, still occurs in several jurisdictions, exposing innocent people to unlawful detention and abuse.
The report also observed that many Nigerians remain unaware of their fundamental rights, including protection against unlawful arrest, the right to timely arraignment, and access to bail. It warned that this lack of awareness weakens accountability and enables rights violations to go unchecked.
Beyond public ignorance, the policy brief identified institutional shortcomings within the justice system as major drivers of abuse. These include gaps in police investigations, slow trial processes, overcrowded custodial centres, and the continued use of paper-based documentation, which limits transparency and hinders effective monitoring of legal safeguards.
Despite these challenges, the CLEEN Foundation acknowledged some progress under ongoing justice-sector reforms. The report cited the training of over 1,000 justice actors, the establishment of 12 monitoring committees, and the release of 107 inmates through improved oversight mechanisms.
The Foundation called on state governments to strengthen enforcement of the ACJL, commit more resources to the justice sector, and ensure that law enforcement and judicial agencies adopt rights-based procedures. It also urged expanded public awareness campaigns to educate citizens about their rights, while encouraging civil society organisations and the media to intensify monitoring and advocacy efforts.
The report further advised the judiciary and security agencies to adopt digital tools to reduce procedural delays and curb abuses within the criminal justice system.
Middle-Belt Times 