The Nigerian Bar Association has condemned what it described as excessive and impractical bail conditions imposed by courts and law enforcement agencies, warning that the practice is turning bail into a tool for pre-trial detention.
The association said the trend, observed across the Nigeria Police Force, EFCC, ICPC and other agencies, is leaving many accused persons in custody despite being granted bail because they cannot meet the conditions attached.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, the NBA said bail is being distorted from its constitutional purpose.
The statement read: “Bail conditions should not undermine the essence of bail.”
It added: “We consider it necessary to reiterate that bail is a constitutional safeguard designed to secure the attendance of an accused person at trial while preserving his or her liberty pending the determination of guilt or innocence. It is neither a punishment nor a mechanism for imposing pre-trial incarceration by indirect means.”
