Oversight Visit to Bwari Police Station

The 48-hour detention rule is a key safeguard under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.  It protects suspects from prolonged or unlawful detention.  However, how consistently do police stations comply with this rule in practice, particularly within the FCT?

To answer this, AWJAI partnered with the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC) and Citizens’ Gavel to conduct an oversight visit to Bwari on 18 June 2025.  The visit focused on compliance with detention practices and compliance with legal standards.

Her Worship, Magistrate Chiemena Okonkwo, led the exercise.  She interviewed all 14 detainees individually, including one minor, and carefully reviewed their cases.  She also advised them to avoid actions that could bring them into conflict with the law.

During the review, the Magistrate identified concerns about the number of detainees and noted that some had remained in custody beyond the legally permitted period.   As a result, she directed officers to take immediate action.  They were instructed to charge detainees to court, grant bail, transfer cases to the State CID, or release individuals where appropriate. 

Importantly, the Magistrate paid special attention to a minor who had spent 10 days in detention with adults.  She addressed this directly and reinforced the need to protect vulnerable individuals in custody.

She reminded officers to strictly follow the law. Detainees must not remain in custody for more than 48 hours without bail or formal charges, except where the law clearly permits otherwise.

At AWJAI, we remain committed to promoting accountability, protecting detainees’ rights and strengthening compliance with the ACJA. Through continued oversight visits and collaboration with key stakeholders, we will keep working to ensure that every police station upholds the rule of law and treats all detainees with dignity and fairness.