‘Degrading and unacceptable’- Falana slams police for arraigning Melaye on stretcher

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has slammed the Nigeria Police for arraigning Kogi-West lawmaker, Senator Dino Melaye in court on a stretcher.

Falana said in a statement on Thursday that the degrading and humiliating treatment meted out to Melaye was a violation of his fundamental human right.

The senior advocate said,

“The arraignment of Senator Dino Melaye on a stretcher in Abuja on Wednesday and Lokoja on Thursday morning is unacceptable in a civilised society.

“It is particularly degrading and humiliating as it violates the fundamental right to the dignity of his person guaranteed by Section 34 of the constitution and Section 7 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.”

“Even though the Senator has my sympathy, it is indistinguishable that he has only been given a little dose of the humiliating treatment that is daily meted out to the flotsam and jetsam of our unjust society by the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies in Nigeria.

He, therefore, called on the National Assembly which has protested against Melaye’s arrest, to use the opportunity to call on the relevant agencies to turn a new leaf.