This is a very important right and can be seen as the determinant of personhood. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Section 34 of the 1999 CFRN as amended provides;
34 (1) Every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person, and accordingly –
(a) no person shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment.
(b) no person shall be held in slavery or servitude; and
(c) no person shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labour.
There are some exceptions to sub-section (1) (c). See s. 34 (2) of the 1999 CFRN as amended.
Paragraph (a) above states that an individual has a right against torture, inhuman or degrading treatment. According to Professor B.O Nwabueze, this covers not only the type of punishment meted out to an offender, but his punishment in police custody and prison e.g medical neglect, beating prisoners, starvation, etc. As was rightly stated in the case of Agbakoba v. Commissioner of Police (1994) 6 NWLR (pt 351) 475 that if the purpose of detention is to acheive ill treatment as means of punishment, total release would be ordered by the court. It also covers all such treatment whether by goverments, its agencies or individuals. In fact, any punishment or treatment incompatible with the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society is repulsive i.e what might not have been regarded as inhuman decades ago may be revolting to the new sensitivities which emerge as civlization advances. See Catholic Commission of Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe v. Attorney General S.C 73/93 14 Human Rights L.J 323 (1993).
Paragraph (b) states that no person shall be held in slavery or servitude. This provision is quite clear but it extends to situations where individuals are unlawfully imprisoned and where individuals do certain acts under compulsion.
Lastly, paragraph (c) prohibits forced or compulsory labour however, subsection (2) lists exceptions to this provision, some of which are; any labour required in consequence of the sentence of a court, any labour required of members of the armed forces of the Federation or the Nigeria Police Force in pursuant to their duties, etc.
https://lawstudentaide.com/2018/12/12/right-to-dignity-of-human-person-constitutional-law/