Section 35(5) of the 1999 constitution states that:
"Every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until he is proved guilty;
Provided that nothing in this section shall invalidate any law by reason only that the law imposes upon any such person the burden of proving particular facts."

The 1999 Constitution FRN stipulates that a suspect has the right to a fair hearing. Every person is considered innocent until proven guilty. Parading suspects prior to trial is highly questionable when viewed under the light of this provision.

Recently, the Lagos House of Assembly amended the Criminal Justice law in the state. The amended law bars police from parading suspects before the media.
Section 9(a) of the Criminal Justice Law states that:
“As from the commencement of this law, the police shall refrain from parading any suspect before the media.”

With this new development by the Lagos State government, adequate enforcement of 36(5) of the apex law in the land cannot be overstated.

To join in the ongoing debate, kindly click on the link below:
https://veegil.com/parade-of-suspects-the-legality-610a6c972f0e2ad3060cb682