Inalienable Rights every Nigerian should know about.

Angela Emuwa
Nov 4 · 2 min read

Many Nigerians don’t know what their rights are, and have been in situations that could have been avoided if they did. A lot of Nigerians have been deprived of their basic fundamental human rights, this includes people living with special needs; this group of people are the ones that are usually deprived of their basic rights the most.

We are all entitled to some basic rights, from inception until death. However, there are some key rights for which specific provisions have been made by law, these are called “Inalienable rights”. Here are some of those rights.

Right to Life

This is the most fundamental right which is applicable to all human beings. It states that everyone has the right to exist and no one should be deprived of that right unless by a court of law, where the person has been tried, and found guilty of a crime.

Right to Dignity

This states that every Nigerian has the right to not be subjected to any inhumane treatment or torture as well as forced labour.

Right to Personal Liberty

This states that no individual should be deprived of their liberty or freedom unless in accordance with the law.

Right to Fair Hearing

This guarantees that in the determination of an individual’s civil rights and obligations, a person shall be entitled to “a fair hearing within a reasonable time by a court or tribunal established by law and constituted in such manner as to secure its independence and impartiality.”

Right to Privacy

The 1999 Constitution guarantees and protects “the privacy of citizens, their homes, correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraphic communications.”

It is extremely important to know your legal and Constitutional rights. These rights are the foundation of our legal system and are in place for the protection of every citizen of this country.

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