Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, on Thursday, condemned what he described as the growing culture of unlawful detention in Nigeria, warning that the practice poses a serious threat to democracy and public confidence in government.
El-Rufai made the remarks at the 23rd Annual Trust Dialogue held at the Nigerian Air Force Conference Centre, Kado, Abuja, where political leaders, policy experts and stakeholders gathered to discuss governance and national development.
Naijaonpoint reports that the former governor said the justice system was established to safeguard the rights of citizens, not to intimidate or instil fear in them.
“The law should protect citizens, not terrify them like what is happening in Nigeria. Detention without enforcement must end,” El-Rufai said.
He argued that the continued detention of individuals without trial or due process amounted to a clear violation of fundamental human rights and contradicted the principles of the rule of law as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
El-Rufai warned that no society could make meaningful progress where security agencies operate outside legal boundaries, stressing that adherence to the rule of law remained the foundation of any functional democracy.
According to him, the misuse of state power to intimidate, harass or suppress citizens weakens democratic institutions and undermines accountability.
The former Kaduna State governor further urged authorities to ensure that law enforcement agencies act strictly within the confines of the law, noting that respect for due process was essential to restoring public trust in government.
He maintained that democracy could only thrive in an environment where citizens were confident that their rights would be protected and that the law would be applied fairly to all.