Brave Dickson
Drug detainees in the custodies of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency across the 11 states of the federation have been denied Xmas freedom following the suspension of arraignments by the courts.
The affected states are: Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa-Ibom, Delta, Edo, Abia, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi and Anambra which are all in the southsouth and southeast geo-political zones of the country.
The federal high courts in Rivers State where designated as the only vacation courts to hear matters brought by NDLEA across the 11 states during this festive period but the vacation courts had turned around to suspend arraignments.
Our correspondent reports that lawyers representing NDLEA from different states where disappointed when the vacation courts told them that only fundamental human rights matters can be brought before the courts.
Speaking with our correspondent, the counsel to the Rivers State Command of the NDLEA, Patrick Eshua said the decision of the vacation courts had denied some detainees of bail during this festive period.
He said, “I don’t feel happy that some suspects in our custody who have spent over three weeks in detention in course of investigation will not be arraigned because the courts said we shouldn’t bring them.
“The negative implication is that those whose offences are bailable and could have met the bail conditions will not have the chance to spend the Xmas with their loved ones.
“Also, the long detention which the decision of the courts has caused can deteriorate the health of the vulnerable detainees.
“It will also over-stretch our detention facilities during this Xmas period and give us more legal works next year.”
NDLEA further said that no matter what; the courts would have at least take arraignments and grant bail to those who deserve it.
