The present document of Amnesty International concerns the situation of detention conditions in Nigeria. In July 2007 Amnesty International delegates visited 10 prisons in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Enugu, Lagos and Kano States. The prisons included a mixture of some of Nigeria’s main detention facilities as well as small prisons in rural areas. Amnesty states that the assistance of counsel is a primary means of ensuring the right to a fair trial, including the right to be tried without delay. International standards, such as the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, call for the assignment of a lawyer whenever the interests of justice require it, if necessary free of charge.
The present document of Amnesty International concerns the situation of detention conditions in Nigeria. In July 2007 Amnesty International delegates visited 10 prisons in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Enugu, Lagos and Kano States. The prisons included a mixture of some of Nigeria’s main detention facilities as well as small prisons in rural areas. Amnesty states that the assistance of counsel is a primary means of ensuring the right to a fair trial, including the right to be tried without delay. International standards, such as the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, call for the assignment of a lawyer whenever the interests of justice require it, if necessary free of charge.
