Can the Nigerian Police Use a Forced Confession to Convict you?
Under Nigerian law, if the police beat, torture, or threaten you into making a confession and signing a confessional statement, that confession cannot be used against you in court. However, if the police find stolen items on you shortly after a crime, the court can still presume you are guilty unless you prove how you got them. Take for instance a situation where a suspect is arrested by the police in Nigeria. During the interrogation, the suspect was beaten or threatened until he sign a written confession. Later in court, the suspect tells the judge, "I only signed that because they tortured me." Does the law accept that confession? And what happens if the police actually found stolen goods with the suspect? The Supreme Court dealt with these exact questions in plethora of cases. One of such is the case of Umar v. State . Here is a breakdown of your rights based on that judgment. What the Court Decided Admissibility of Forced Confessions In this case, the suspect, now Appe...