The Human Project

Human trafficking is a very disturbing issue that has triggered the concern of government and indeed many NGOs. People all over the world are victims of human trafficking both in their own countries and abroad.  It consists of the transferring, harboring and receipt of a person or persons, often done in violent or deceptive ways, using threat or coercion. Victims are sexually exploited or made to do labor or services through the use of force or coercion. Some of the fundamental challenges surrounding human trafficking in Nigeria include lack of knowledge of the actual volume, nature and impact of trafficking. Also, it would appear that there is a gap in enforcement mechanisms. Despite the seriousness of the crime, the government and law enforcement agencies do not seem to pay much attention to it. Human trafficking often goes ‘under the radar’ of the government. They have prioritized some key crimes and focused on fighting them. Human trafficking needs to be one of these priorities...

All over the world, women have been marginalized in virtually every sector. Particularly, in Africa, we are confronted with the sad reality of dominant masculinity and barbaric norms where women are nearly shut out of the political, economic, family and traditional systems; basic education for the girl child is considered a waste, talk more of higher education. I am yet to see a female head a classical traditional African system; traditional leadership is clearly earmarked for men and men only. This challenge of women relegation has persisted even in this era where education has been internationally recognized as a human right. The damage caused by the failure to realize that women make up about 50 percent of the African population (see World Bank data) has thrown Africa into multiple crisis economically, politically and otherwise. The earlier it is realized that empowering women through quality higher education is empowering the social, economic and family values of the African societ...

  In September, we talked about a religious/traditional practice that infringes on the rights of children- THE ALMAJIRI SYSTEM. Do you think the Almajiri system is bad for us? Well, wait until you meet the reeeeaaal rock star- THE CORPSE WATER RITUAL! In this 21 st century, some communities still force widows of dead men to drink water from washed corpses of the deceased in order to prove their innocence. In other words, if the family of the deceased has reason to believe that the widow had a hand in his death (and they always have a reason to believe so), they initiate the ritual. What is that? About 4 months ago, a 34 year old widow, Chioma Asomugha from Anambra state, raised the alarm that her in-laws were trying to force her to drink water used in bathing her dead husband’s corpse. You can read the story here . Thankfully, she resisted them. So, in case you think this barbaric practice doesn’t happen anymore, this is 2021 and human beings are still practicing it. Where is ...

Over 200 million people, many tribes and religions, countless cultures and traditions; we are free to practice whatever way of life we choose. However, the Constitution is supposed to be the rallying point, where we can strike a balance in order to ensure that we do not abuse our happiness and freedom. In other words, traditions are harmless until they are found to be contrary to natural justice, equity and good conscience. Sadly, with the way certain practices are carried out by some groups of people in Nigeria, the questions that readily come to mind are: is the Constitution really the Grundnorm? Are some religious/traditional practices greater than the provisions of the Constitution? One of such practices is ALMAJIRI practiced in northern Nigeria.   Is Almajiri a bad practice? The word “Almajiri” is derived from the Arabic phrase “Al muhajirun”, meaning “an emigrant”. It usually refers to an emigrant who moves from his home to stay with a popular teacher in the quest for ...

  Let’s learn latin today. Last time, we gave you a brief and interesting introduction to fair hearing. In case you missed it, you can find it here . We cannot talk about fair hearing without considering the principles of natural justice. The principles of natural justice are those rules which have been laid down by the courts as minimum protection of the rights of the individual against the arbitrary procedure that may be adopted by a judicial, quaisi-judicial or administrative authority while making an order affecting those rights. In simple terms, these principles ensure that everyone brought before the court is treated fairly. These principles have their roots in two Latin maxims : “ Audi alteram partem”   and  “nemo judex in causa sua”.     Like I said, we will learn Latin today. So let’s find out what these maxims mean.   AUDI ALTERAM PARTEM (Rule of Fair Hearing): This principle simply means that no man should be condemned unheard or that...

Hello friends! It’s been a while, I know. I apologize for keeping you waiting all these weeks. The twitter ban slowed things down for us. But we are back with our simple human right lessons for you to read and learn. Thank you for your patience. This month, we are going to discuss the Right to Fair Hearing, and I will be doing a simple introduction here. My partners will bring you more interesting details in the following weeks. Stay tuned. So, what is this fair hearing sef? Outside law, the word ‘fair’ simply means free from favoritism or bias or deception; in line with established standards or rules. Fair hearing simply means a judicial proceeding that is conducted in such a manner as to conform with fundamental concepts of justice and equality. In other words, due process of law should be followed: one should be given the opportunity to present evidence to support his or her case and to discover what evidence exists against him or her before an impartial tribunal. If a person is arr...

The right to protest is protected by International Laws. See Articles 18, 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Right. Under section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, every person is entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons. Section 45 permits these rights to be restricted in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health or to protect the rights or freedom of others. So, as long as you’re not causing any trouble, you’re doing well my dear. Furthermore, the Court of Appeal upheld the right to protest in the case of IGP V. ANPP (2008) 12 WRN 65 that “certainly in a democracy, it is the right of citizens to conduct peaceful processions, rallies or demonstrations without seeking and obtaining permission from anybody. It is a right guaranteed by the 1999 constitution and any law that attempt to curtail such right is null and void and of no effect. We already know that peaceful protest is a fundamental right in Nigeria and ...