The Nigerian Bar Association’s Human Rights Committee in Benin has been denied access to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s detention facility in Benin City, Edo State, a day after a suspect died inside a Federal High Court courtroom following months in NDLEA custody.
The committee, which arrived at the facility on Wednesday as part of its routine facility decongestion exercise, was turned away by the NDLEA Edo State Commandant, identified as Mr. Mitchell, who said he required directives from the agency’s Abuja headquarters before granting access.
In a press release signed by Mrs. Ekama Itohan, Chairman of the NBA-Benin Human Rights Committee, the body said the visit was part of its standing mandate to protect the rights of suspects detained across Edo State. The committee had specifically requested to inspect the NDLEA facility following allegations from other stakeholders in the justice sector that detainees were being held for months without trial.
“We were reliably informed during the visit that over 50 suspects were held in the facilities for months without trial,” the statement read.
The development comes one day after the death of Mrs. Titilayo Akindele, a 52-year-old woman who collapsed and died inside Federal High Court 1 in Benin City on Tuesday while being arraigned by the NDLEA on drug peddling charges. Witnesses alleged she had been in NDLEA custody for nearly three months, visibly ill, and denied adequate medical attention.
The timing of the NBA’s visit and subsequent shut-out has intensified scrutiny of the NDLEA’s Edo State command, which has yet to issue a comprehensive public statement on either incident. Critics argue that the refusal to grant access to an independent human rights body raises further questions about conditions inside the facility and the agency’s commitment to transparency.
The NBA said it remains committed to ensuring the rights of all suspects in detention are upheld, and did not rule out further legal or institutional steps to compel access to the facility.
