The United States government has expressed concern about security and justice delivery in Nigeria, citing cases of enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and lengthy pre-trial delays.

In its 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, released by the Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, the US identified several challenges plaguing Nigeria’s judicial and labour systems, including corruption, bureaucratic delays, and political influence.

The report quoted Amnesty International as saying the whereabouts of “dozens of young men detained at SARS Awkuzu,” a police station in Anambra State disbanded in 2020, remain unknown.

It noted that police and other security agencies still abused their authority, arresting people without warrants despite legal requirements. The law stipulates that suspects be presented before a magistrate within 48 hours and that initial pre-trial detention should not exceed 14 days. However, in many cases, these provisions were ignored.

The report added:

Bail was often arbitrary.
Some suspects were held incommunicado or indefinitely.
Corruption and negligence worsened trial backlogs.
Some detainees remained in custody because authorities lost their case files or lacked vehicles to transport them to court.

On justice delivery, the US report said Nigeria’s judicial system was crippled by shortages of judges, political interference, and bureaucratic inertia.

It highlighted cases where detainees remained in pre-trial detention longer than the maximum sentences for their alleged crimes.

The US report also touched on Nigeria’s economic realities, saying the newly approved ₦70,000 minimum wage had been eroded by the continued depreciation of the naira.

The wage, pegged at $47.90 per month, lost value as the naira traded above ₦1,500/$1.

It also noted that firms with fewer than 25 workers were exempted from paying the new wage; Some states refused to implement the law, citing financial constraints; Between 70–80% of Nigeria’s workforce operates in the informal economy, where wage and safety laws are largely unenforced; The law did not clearly define premium or overtime pay, while penalties for violations were minimal.

The report flagged child marriage as a persistent issue. While federal law sets the minimum age at 18, many states, especially in the North, do not uphold it.

It revealed that: 35 states, except Zamfara, had adopted the law; In some states, children as young as 11 years could legally marry under customary or religious law; The government has been working with religious leaders, emirs, and sultans to discourage early marriage due to its health and social consequences.

Presidency Dismisses Concerns

In a swift reaction last night, the Presidency in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said the judicial system in the country is addressing concerns about lengthy pre-trial periods, alongside other issues.

He also said there is better coordination of security efforts from all security agencies, adding that several security challenges the country was facing had abated.

The presidential spokesman, who noted that recalibration of the economy had started yielding positive results, said on security: “The US, through its Nigerian Mission, only recently praised the Nigerian security apparatus and the Bola Tinubu government over the arrest of two leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group.

“It’s a validation of the efforts being made to address the security situation internally and externally. There is much coordination of security efforts from all outfits, and several security challenges have abated.

“The US recognised these efforts as significant. The security clean-up is a continuous effort.”

He added: “Our judicial system continues to address concerns about lengthy pre-trial periods alongside other issues. These challenges are abating, even as the Nigerian government has initiated several judicial reforms to improve Nigeria’s justice system.

“The national summit on justice was declared open in April last year by President Bola Tinubu.’’

On other issues, including the economy, he said: “The naira has stabilised. That we can see. The economy is undergoing a recalibration, and we see positive numbers from macroeconomic indicators. The naira will strengthen with time.”