Lawyers’ Alert Demands Fair Trial, Rights Protection for Detained Health Worker

From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi

Human rights organisation, Lawyers’ Alert, has expressed concern over what it described as persistent pressure on a female health worker currently standing trial over alleged abortion-related offences, calling on authorities to protect her constitutional rights and ensure she receives independent legal support.

The health worker, whose identity has been withheld, is being represented by Lawyers’ Alert and is currently remanded at the Ibara Correctional Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State. She is facing trial in connection with the death of a 23-year-old National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, who allegedly died from complications following the termination of a pregnancy.
According to the organisation, the defendant was initially charged with conspiracy, unlawful abortion and murder. However, the Director of Public Prosecutions later discontinued the murder charge through legal advice, while she remains in custody to face the remaining charges without being granted bail.
In a statement signed by its Director of Legal, Bamidele Jacobs, Lawyers’ Alert alleged that the health worker has been subjected to pressure from her husband and other family members to plead guilty, despite her desire to fully understand the legal implications of such a decision.
The organisation said it has consistently advised against entering a guilty plea without a negotiated plea agreement that adequately safeguards her legal rights and interests.
Lawyers’ Alert also expressed concern over reports that the defendant has allegedly been isolated from her mother and twin sister while in custody. It further alleged that her husband has been disposing of her personal property under the pretext of raising funds for legal representation without making efforts to secure her bail.
The organisation described the allegations as serious and deserving of careful scrutiny.
According to Lawyers’ Alert, the case reflects the broader challenges faced by women prosecuted in connection with reproductive healthcare, noting that women in detention may experience multiple forms of pressure, including stigma, economic dependence, family influence and social discrimination, which could affect their ability to make independent legal decisions.
While acknowledging that advice from a spouse or family member does not automatically constitute gender-based violence, the organisation argued that persistent pressure, emotional manipulation, intimidation or attempts to override a woman’s expressed wishes, particularly while in detention, could amount to coercive control and psychological or gender-based violence.
The organisation cited international and domestic legal instruments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Maputo Protocol, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and Nigeria’s Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, as recognising emotional, verbal and psychological abuse as forms of violence against women, depending on the circumstances.
It also referenced Sections 34 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which guarantee every accused person the rights to dignity, fair hearing, independent legal representation and the opportunity to make an informed and voluntary plea.
Lawyers’ Alert maintained that while the courts will determine the merits of the criminal charges, every accused person is entitled to due process, dignity and the full protection of the law.
The organisation therefore called on relevant authorities to ensure that the defendant’s constitutional rights are protected, that she has access to independent legal and psychosocial support, and that any decisions she makes during the criminal proceedings are free from coercion or undue influence.