A LEGAL EVALUATION OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS IN NIGERIA BETWEEN 2019 AND 2021

Abstract

The right to life is an inalienable right. It is one of the major components of the Fundamental Human Rightsenshrined in the 1999 constitution of Nigeria (as amended). These rights are broken consists of the right to life,the right to assemble, the right to education and others. Beyond the constitutional provision of the rights, thecourts have always ensured that the right to life is duly protected from being violated. In most cases however,citizens have shown ignorance of their rights and their constitutional provision. Therefore, law enforcementagents have always taken advantage of the citizens’ ignorance and killed people unlawfully for minor offenceswithout being tried. This study therefore evaluated extra-judicial killings in Nigeria between 2019 and 2021,factors for responsible for such illegal killings, the various patterns of the killings and showed exceptionalcircumstances when the rights to life can be breached. The study adopted the doctrinal research method and theapproach is investigative and comparative. This involved the consideration of data from statutes, case laws, andjournal articles including the review of works done by other authors in the subject area. In the course of thestudy, it was observed that ignorance and poverty have affected the citizens’ access to justice after each extrajudicialkilling. It was also seen that poor conditions of service and inadequate investigative infrastructure aresome of the reasons for the breach of the right to life resulting in extra-judicial killing in Nigeria. It was thenrecommended that enhanced working conditions, and adequate investigative infrastructure be provided forsecurity agents especially the police to mitigate extra-judicial killing in Nigeria.