Imagine hearing a knock at midnight a knock that could change your life forever. For decades, Nigerians lived under the shadow of military rule, where arbitrary arrests and indefinite detention were tools of power, and fear was the government’s most effective weapon. From the first coup in 1966 through the end of uninterrupted military governance in 1999, security agencies could detain critics, political opponents, activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens without charge or trial.
Suspension of Constitutional Rights and the Rise of Preventive Detention
After the 1966 coup that ended the First Republic, military rulers suspended the constitution and fundamental rights. Decrees allowed authorities to detain individuals indefinitely without trial. The State Security (Detention of Persons) Decree No. 24 of 1967 became the blueprint for controlling dissent.
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When the civilian government of Shehu Shagari was overthrown in 1983, Buhari’s regime introduced the indefinite detention of anyone deemed a threat to state security or the economy. Courts were stripped of the power to challenge detentions, leaving citizens vulnerable to state power.
Arbitrary Arrests as a Tool of Control
Politicians and Political Actors
Opposition figures were prime targets. Chief M.K.O. Abiola, winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 election, was detained for years without trial and died in custody in 1998.
Human Rights Defenders and Critics
Activists and lawyers, including Chief Gani Fawehinmi and Femi Falana, faced repeated detention, often held incommunicado, with no access to counsel or family.
Journalists and Civil Society Figures
Critics in the press faced intimidation, detention, and censorship information from reaching the public.
Forced Trials and Political Executions
Under General Sani Abacha, military tribunals became instruments of fear. In 1995, the Ogoni Nine, including activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, were executed following a trial widely condemned internationally. Special military courts also handed down harsh sentences to coup suspects, labor leaders, and critics, bypassing fair-trial standards.
Ousting Courts and Ending Legal Recourse
Decrees increasingly removed judicial oversight, ensuring that even courts could not review detentions. While some judges attempted to enforce the law, military authorities routinely ignored orders or circumvented rulings, maintaining a climate of unchecked power.
Legacy and Transition to Civil Rule
By 1998, internal and external pressures forced the military to plan a transition to democracy. General Abdulsalami Abubakar oversaw reforms culminating in the 1999 Constitution, which guaranteed protections against arbitrary arrest and mandated judicial oversight for detention beyond 48 hours. The formal era of preventive detention ended, marking a critical turning point in Nigeria’s history.
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For over three decades, Nigeria’s military governments used arrests, detention, and legal decrees as instruments of fear to maintain power. Arbitrary detention became routine, silencing critics and instilling widespread anxiety. The transition to civilian rule in 1999 restored constitutional protections, reinforcing the importance of human rights, accountability, and the rule of law.
Author’s Note
This article chronicles how Nigerian military regimes wielded fear to maintain control through arbitrary arrests and detention. It highlights key decrees, political and human-rights detentions, forced trials, and the suppression of judicial oversight. By documenting the experiences of high-profile figures and ordinary citizens alike, the piece underscores the transition to civilian rule in 1999 and the enduring lesson: unchecked power fosters fear, while constitutional safeguards protect society.
References
Nigeria’s military regimes 1983-99 and human rights record
Arbitrary detention under State Security (Detention of Persons) Decrees
Human Rights Watch reports on detentions of activists and journalists
Amnesty International documentation on Decree No. 2 and military tribunals
The arrest and death in custody of Chief M.K.O. Abiola
Trial and execution of the Ogoni Nine
