My right to fair hearing (Introduction)

  • Introduction

This right to fair hearing na one principle wey no gree make dem  give pesin bad judgment or do magomago or partial for am.

The right talk sey if pesin dey for court;

  1. Make dem allow am talk his own as the matter be;
  2. Make the pesin wey wan judge the mata no do ojoro for am; and
  • Make dem no waste time untop the matter

If any of the three wey we just talk now no dey for any matae, na magomago be that[1].

Wetin the right dey talk be sey, all to people wey carry matter come court make dem tell you wetin happen[2] and  make the person wan judge dem  no do wuruwuru to the answer.

Wetin mata here be sey as the Jude they judge the matter, anybody wey dey siddon look as the judge dey handle the matter go throway salute for the judge sey e no dey do ojoro at all.[3]

The judge no suppose get interest for anybody wey e dey decide their mata and the judge no suppose get interest inside the matter[4]. Becos if pesin wey go judge ya matter na pesin wey dey accuse you bring am come or e dey related to pesin wey dey accuse or challenge you, na magogmago be dat and the constitution talk sey the judgment nwey go come out of that case no go fit stand at all weda na court e take happen or if dem set up panel for you any where including your office sef..

[1]See Effiom Vs. The State (1995) 1 NWLR (pt. 373) 507.

[2]See S.287 CPA. See Otapo Vs. Sunmonu (1987) 5 SCNJ 57.

[3]Ajibaiye Vs. Ajibaiye (2007) All FWLR (pt. 359) 1321.

[4]See Garba Vs. Uni-Maid (1986) 1 NSCC 245; Yabugbe Vs. COP (1992) 4 NWLR (pt. 234) 152

Wetin I suppose know if dem dey carry me go Court, Tribunal or if I dey face panel?

If na you or any pesin around you dey court or tribunal or panel make you no forget wetin we wan yarn you now. Just dey read am below:

 

The matter dem suppose do openly make everybody see am

The matter suppose be one wey people fit come enter dey watch as dem dey take do am. If na for the one wey dem no sey make people no enter for security reason, judges dem no suppose go do hear mata and pass judgment for dem backyard or chambers.[1]

 

Every pesin na innocent

Pesin wey dem charge go court for any bad thing, na innocent the pesin for that period until court confirm sey na true e do bad and come convict am before anybody go fit call am criminal. If people or police dem dey call pesin criminal, the law sey na bad thing those people do and na mouth diarrhea dey worry dem.[2]

 

Dem must tell pesin the offence wey he don commit

If dem arrest pesin sey e don commit offence, dem must to tell am in language wey the pesin understand wetin dem talk sey he do. This one na constitution join am to Section 35 (3) of our constitution wey dey for arrest and detention mata. If dem no tell am the offence we e commit, na wrong thing dem dey do and the acusse fit use am against dem lattter. But if dem go tell am another offence wey the punishment no reach the real offence wey e commit, the law sey the mistake no be big thing.[3]

 

Dem must to give you time and everything wey you need to go defend himself

Pesin wey dem sey e don do bad thing suppose get time and everything wey e need to go defend himself. The kind time wey we dey talk here no be only the first day wey de matter reach court, the pesin suppose get adjournment when he suppose get am.[4]

Make ya no forget sey court no go dey gree adjournment wey no make sense.[5]

If you wan adjournment becos you wan bring ya witness come court, you go show court sey:

  1. The witness dey important for ya case
  2. No be you cause am as the pesin wey bring come no show before dat time
  • You dey very sure sey fit bring the witness for the date wey you promise.

 

Right to choose lawyer wey you like to defend you or you wan defend yourself

No body suppose deny you your right to choose lawyer wey you want. No body suppose force a lawyer ontop you. And if you wan defend yaslef, na your right. [6]

 

You get right to ask questions from witness wey other people bring come against you

As pesin get right to bring witness to court and ask dem questions, na so e get right to ask question from witness wey others bring to testify against him. This one na constitution talk am and e dey very important.[7] If dem no gree make you ask witness question, any judgement wey dem give ontop the matter go fail.

 

 

Right wey sey make dem interprete wetin happen to pesin

If dem accuse pesin sey e don commit offence, dem suppose tell am sharp sharp for language wey he understand if e no sabi English or language of the court. The kind offence wey he don commit wey make dem charge am for court. If dem no do this, any judgment wey dem give against am go fail .[8]

If dem give am interpreter wey no dey competent, any judgement dem give against am go fail[9].

If dem come give am interpreter, he no suppose pay any money for the service at all.

If the persin no come sabi language when dem dey speak for court, he come dey there dey look like lukuluku and no talk am for court sey e no sabi the language, na the pesin sabi o because dem go see his complain later as minor thing[10].

 

Your right to mashonu (keep quiet)

You get right make you no talk anything at all o. This right na the constitutional give you.[11]

 

Make we talk am here sey if the offence wey dem charge you na big one like muder, armed robbery, e dey compulsory make you get lawyer o.

[1]S. 36 (4) of the 1999 Constitution

[2]Eyu Vs. The State (1988) 2 NWLR (pt. 78) 602. Okoro Vs The State (1988) 12 SCNJ 19. Uso Vs COP (1972) 11 SC 37. See the exceptions  in SS. 141 (3)(b) & 142  of the Evidence Act. See the proviso to S. 36 (5) CFRN.

[3]Sections 36(6)(a), 179 (2) CPA; 218 (2) CPC; Maja Vs. The State (1980) 1 NCR 212, Nwachukwu Vs The State (1986) 4 SC 378.

[4]See Section 36 (6)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, Udo Vs The State (1988) 3 NWLR (pt. 82) 316. See also Gokpa Vs. IGP (1961) 1 All NLR 423

[5]See   Yanor Vs The State (1965) 1 All NLR 193; Shemfe Vs. COP (1962) NNLR 87.

[6]S 36 (6)(C) of the 1999 Constitution

[7]See Section 36 (6)(d) of the 1999 Constitution, Tulu Vs Bauchi N.A (1965) NMLR 343; Idrisu Vs. The State (1967) 1 All NLR 32.

[8] See Section 36 (6)(e) of the 1999 Constitution, Anyanwu Vs The State (2002) 13 NWLR (pt. 783) 107.

[9]Ajayi Vs Zaria N.A.(1964) NNLR 61.

[10]Udosen Vs. The State (2007) All FWLR (pt. 356) 669. See also The State Vs Gwonto (1983) 3 SC.67

[11]See– Sections. 36 (11) of the 1999 Constitution, 160 (a) of Evidence Act; 287 (1)(a) CPA; 236 (1)(a) CPC. See also Sugh Vs The State (1988) 2 NWLR (pt. 77) 475.

Dem don setup gbege panel for me o for work. Dem fit do me ojoro and wayo?

Anybody fit get reason or issue wey go fit make invite am come answer questions for his place of work for example. At this level, you supposeknow sey the panel go take decision wey go fit affect you and you suppose dey vigilant make dem no do wuruwuru or ojoro for you.

Just go read all things wey we explain under “Wetin I suppose know if dem dey carry me go Court, Tribunal  or if I dey face panel?’. Everything dey applicable to you if dem set panel for you for work

Dem sey I do bad thing last year sey wetin but I do don become offence dis year. Helep me o

That one na illegal. Constitution talk sey dem no fit sey pesin don commit offence if the offence dem no write am for inside our law. Infact before any thing go become offence, that offence dem go write am for our law, dem go explain am and also put the kain punishment wey pesin go get if he go am before we fit call am offence.[1]

The law sey if pesin commit offence and as at the time wey e commit am, the law never call am offence, even if law come make am offence the second day, the law no go catch am becos as at the time wey he do wetin e do, the law no call am offence.[2]

But if wetin you do na weting you don do tey tey like 10 years ago and the time wey you do am, the law call am offence, if you run away then, you not fit hide now. The only way out be sey if now wey dem dey charge you for wetin you do years ago wey law call offence, the time wey law set for am to prosecute you don pass.

[1] –Section 36 (12) of the 1999 Constitution See Aoko Vs. Fagbemi (1961) 1 All NLR 400; A.G.F. Vs. Isong (1986) 1QLRN 75

[2]Section 36 (8) of 1999 Constitution

Dem fit carry pesin go court again ontop mata wey court don jail am or leave am or ontop mater wey govment don forgive am?

If this dey happen, pesin no suppose dey  wee for trouser like small pikin. The rule for this matter no gree popular talk wey sey double wahala for deadbody[1].  If dem don jail pesin or free am for court ontop one mata, dem no fit carry am go face trial ontop the same mata again . Wetin the pesin go court be this:

  1. a) make he show dem sey the first court wey he go then na criminal mata he go face there;
  2. b) make he show them sey the first matter happen for a court wey dey recognize for Nigeria;
  3. c) make he show them sey them finish the trail where dem either jail or free am;
  4. d) make he show dem say the matter wey court finish then na the same matter dem don bring again.

If Presido of Nigeria or other people wey the law give to pardon people come pardon pesin on top wetin he do, the law sey dem no fit go carry the person again go court or make dem punish am ontop the same mata[2].

[1]– S 36 (9 of the 1999 Constitution; Nafiu Rabiu Vs The State (1980) 8-11 SC. 130

[2]Section 36 (10) of the 1999 Constitution; Falae Vs Obasanjo (No. 2) (1999) 4 NWLR (pt. 599) 476; S.221 (1)(b) CPA

My right to Personal Liberty (Introduction)

  • Introduction

Right to personal liberty na ogbonge right wey every pesin must to enjoy o. This na right to do any good thing wey you wan do and where you no need to ask anybody for permission or dey fear.

Na this kind right give you freedom to do any good thing wey you like. E fit be marriage, you born pikin, you want get job, you want to waka around, you want to get house, worship.

Section 35(1) of our Constitution talk sey:

 

Ne every pesin get liberty right and no pesin go fit sey make you know enjoy am. But if you don do something wey law don talk sey make you no do, pesin fit no enjoy personal liberty fully.

 

Before dem go deny pesin this right, dat mean sey the pesin don do bad things wey law talk sey if anybody do, make dem arrest am, carry am go court.

 

Who fit arrest pesin?

Na police get power to arrest pesin because na dem dey arrest people wey dey do bad (commit crime). We dey tell dem police sey there power to arrest no be to dey use am harass innocent people .

People wey no be police like you and me fit arrest person around us if police no dey around. But if we arrest pesin wey don commit crime, we no get power to beat or kill the pesin because na suspect the pesin be and e fit be innocent. Make you no go luck am for your domot at all. Carry am go the nearby police station wey dey your area. Police go handle the matter well as law take talk am. But if you think sey some police go do magomago, you fit tell us make we report the mata for the state police command wey the mata take happen. Dem Oga go make sure sey the mata go smooth as law take talk am. No kill person or beat am o! The reason be sey people wey get bad belle for another dey always do wayo to get back at others. For example, some get habit to dey shout ‘thief’ thief untop people wey dem get kuanta with so that people around go fit kill take dem for thief and kill dem. Plenty pesin wey no do any bad thing don die untop wetin dem no do because some people no like dem and come dey hide under this kind strategy.

If you go kill person because dem call am thief, na you go face the wahala as dem fit kill you too if court confirm sey na true you follow people kill pesin.

If dem wan arrest person, dem suppose use force/handcuff and arrest warrant?

Na the rule be dis. If dem wan arrest pesin, dem fit touch am make he no run because ordinary talk fit no do am with some strong and aggressive people. But if pesin wey dem dey arrest agree and no proof stubborn, police no need to use force.

Police must tell pesin wey dem arrest the reason why dem take arrest am. But dem fit not tell am if he go escape or no go gree make dem arrest am.

Another paper dey wey dem dey call arrest warrant. This powerful paper dem dey take arrest pesin. But if officer dey see person wey just commit offence for im presence, he fit arrest the pesin without warrant of arrest becos if e wan go collect the warrant first before he get fit arrest the pesin, that pesin go don run comot. But where arrest warant dey, police must show am to the pesin wey dem wan arrest. The officer fit use sensible force if the pesin e wan arrest dey proof stubborn but if na minor matter and the pesin dey obey the police officer, the officer no suppose use handcuff.

If dem use warrant to arrest pesin, the warrant don expire be dat o. Dem no go fit use the same warrant again to arrest the same pesin.

Make we nack you this one, police, court officer, or any person fit arrest pesin wey don or dey commit offence without warrant even if law sey make dem use warrant. For example, if anybody go kill person now, police no go say because e go need warrant come leave the pesin make e escape and come dey find warrant of arrest up and down.

If dem arrest me self, dem fit throw me anywhere?

Any pesin wey dem arrest either with or without warrant of arrest, dem suppose take the pesin go nearby police station sharp sharp. If you no be police but come arrest pesin wey don commit crime, no waste am at all. Carry am go police station we deay near for your area. No put am for you house else, e fit become another gbege for you o.

We no be police o. We fit arrest, beat beat anybody or kuku kill pesin wey don do bad thing for area (Jungle Justice)?

People wey no be police like you and me fit arrest pesin around us if dem police no dey around. But if we catch person wey done do or wan do bad, we no get power to beat or kill the pesin because na suspect the person be and e fit be innocent. No go luck the suspect for your domot. Carry am go the nearby police station wey dey your area. Police go handle the matter. But if you think sey police go do magomago, tell us make we report the matter for the state police command wey the matter take happen. No kill any suspect or beat am o. The reason be say people wey get bad belle for another dey always shout theief theif untop people wey dem get kwanta with so that people around go fit kill those wey dem get kuanta with. Plenty pesin wey no do any bad thing don die untop wetin dem no do because some people no like dem and come dey hide under this kind strategy.

If you go kill person becos dem call am thief, na you go face the wahala as dem fit kill you too if court see sey na true you follow people go kill pesin.