06/05/2020
RIGHTS EVERY NIGERIAN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
11 RIGHTS EVERY NIGERIAN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
Every Nigerian has rights, duties, liabilities and privileges, which are provided for in the hundreds of laws that exist in Nigeria. However, there are certain rights that basically trump all other ones. They are rights that are referred to as inalienable rights, rights for which the law has made specific and special provision.
These rights are contained in Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and are officially known as Fundamental Rights.
This article will explain what these key rights are, because every Nigerian really should know about these rights.
1. RIGHT TO LIFE
This is the most important right of every Nigerian (and in fact every human being). The right that everyone has to ‘exist’, and no one can intentionally deprive a person of this right, either an individual or the Government, unless in the ex*****on of a sentence of the court in respect of a criminal offence.
In a nutshell, what this right says is that no one can take your life unless you have carried out a capital crime, you have been tried by a competent court, and found guilty.
Exceptions
However, with every right (as you will see below), there are exceptions. In regard to the right to life, the exceptions are:
If she/he dies as a result of the use of reasonable force for the defence of any person from unlawful violence or for the defence of property if she/he dies as a result of the use of reasonable force in order to effect a lawful arrest or to prevent the escape of a person lawfully detained; or if she/he dies as a result of the use of reasonable force for the purpose of suppressing a riot, insurrection or mutiny.
2. RIGHT TO DIGNITY
This right basically means that every Nigerian has a right to not be subjected to torture or inhuman/degrading treatment, and no Nigerian should...
To continued