Petty offences, such as hawking, loitering, alms-seeking, disproportionately affect the poor and underserved in any society. These offences are remnants of colonialism and have burdened Nigeria's justice system for years. By diverting government resources away from crucial areas like governance and economic development, the prosecution of petty offences has hindered progress in the country.

Over the past 3 years, Lawyers Alert has been monitoring and documenting human rights violations associated with petty offences in Nigeria. This present report is a compendium of documented incidents of petty offences violations reported between October 2022 and September 2023. The data utilized in this report is drawn from inputs made into Lawyers Alert Documentation Tool (LadocT).

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Petty Offences are offences other than felonies or misdemeanors, primarily targeting the poor and underserved in any society. Petty Offences are said to “wear the face of Poverty”, given their predominant impact on the economically disadvantaged in any given community. They include hawking, loitering, alms-seeking, etc. 

Globally, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) violations have been identified to have significant impacts on health, social, psychological and economic well-being of individuals. In Nigeria, stigma and discrimination, lack of access to services amongst other SRHR and human rights violations affect people living with or affected by HIV, key and vulnerable populations including sex workers, persons who use/inject drugs, men who have sex with men, transgender people and other LGBTI community members. While these violations occur and is acknowledged, local and community/grassroots data can be a challenge. This can potentially impede advocacy that is evidence-based. 

Before the commencement of its activities in 2022, as is the practice of Lawyers Alert to collectively review activities and actions of the previous year alongside the collective development of an Annual Work Plan for the year in focus with our target beneficiaries.

Lawyers Alert is working on decriminalization of petty offenses in Nigeria. The African Court Advisory Judgement further validates the need for decriminalization of petty offences in Nigeria.

Petty Offences are offences other than felonies or misdemeanors that target poor and indigent in any society. Petty Offences are said to “wear the face of Poverty” because it mostly targets the poor and indigent in any community. They include hawking, loitering, alms-seeking, etc.

About Lawyers Alert:

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Lawyers Alert is a Justice Sector Civil Society Organization that is Non-Profit, Non-Partisan, and Non-religious. It is made up substantially of Lawyers and other professionals committed to the entrenchment of democracy, rule of law, and socio-economic development of citizens with particular emphasis on women. Lawyers Alert with its almost two decades of existence has actively serviced its target beneficiaries. They include Women, Female Sex Workers, Sexual Minorities, People Living with HIV, People who use and Inject Drugs, and People Living with Disabilities (PWDs), amongst others.

Background

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Strategic litigation is potentially a powerful engine of social change. Lawyers Alert strategic impact litigation movement seeks to bring cases before the court with the explicit aim of positively affecting persons beyond the individual complainants. It helps in expanding the frontiers of Law. Lawyers Alert has a mandate to advance equal access to justice and promote and protect the rights of vulnerable groups, especially women through engagement with the instrument of law.

PREFACE
In 2014, the National HIV and AIDS Anti-Discrimination Act (HA D Act) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was signed into law. The Act makes provision for the protection of the fundamental human rights and dignity of people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS in Nigeria. It was written for and applies to all persons living with and affected by HIV and AIDS in Nigeria as well as the judiciary, employers of labour and
employees in the public and private sectors including the Nigerian Armed Forces, Nigeria Police, State Security Services, other paramilitary organizations, schools, hospitals and places of worship.

INTRODUCTION

This report is submitted to the UN Committee against Torture as a "shadow" report of the period under review of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to highlight key areas in which the Nigerian government can improve its commitments under the Convention.

This report is a joint submission by the following Nigerian CSO’s: Sterling Center for Law & Development, Avocats Sans Frontieres France (Lawyers without borders), Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN) and Idris Bawo & Co-led by Lawyers Alert.

INTRODUCTION

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Vulnerable and poor citizens whether in Nigeria or across the world are the population that suffers most human rights abuses associated with petty offences. As the hashtag to the global campaign to decriminalize petty offences goes, #povertyisnotanoffence. In Nigeria today, 70% of those awaiting trials in our correctional centres are persons accused of petty offences.

Petty Offences are offences other than felonies or misdemeanours that targets the poor in any society. Petty offences are said to “wear the face of Poverty”.

Background

Lawyers Alert is contributing to positively changing the dynamics of SRHR in Nigeria by the creation of effective SRHR movements, operational networks and collaborations at the grassroots, judicial activism, legal literacy (rights awareness creation) and provision of scientific data on violations. These steps are contributing in no small measure to the changing narrative and positive push for the enjoyment of Reproductive Health Rights in Nigeria.

Background

By July 2021, a total of 68, 556 persons in Nigeria are in correctional service centers with 70% of these persons awaiting trial. A large percentage of those awaiting trial is on account of Petty Offences. These persons are often the poor and vulnerable in the society owing to the very nature of Petty Offencesand economic reasons

INTRODUCTION
This updated report is a compendium of reported violations of Violence Against Women and Girls in Nigeria between July 2019 – March 2021. The data used in this report is drawn from inputs made into Lawyers Alert Documentation Tool (LADockT). https://www.lawyersalertng.com/. The Tool automatically analyzes data, alone age, location, types, trends, etc.
The findings in this report cut across the six (6) geo-political zones in Nigeria. it is instructive to note that most of the violations/cases reported in this tool are associated with issues of rape and violence, especially in the domestic spaces.

INTRODUCTION
Lawyers Alert focuses on the rights of vulnerable people, primarily through monitoring and documenting abuses of their rights, providing free legal services to them, and advocating for legislative and legal changes to address discrimination against vulnerable people especially women.
Lawyers Alert has been tracking human rights abuses linked to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the last 5 years. In the recent decade, there have been significant advancements in the subject of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in various nations and in Nigeria.

Highlights from January 2020 to December 2020
New Staff:
In 2020, Lawyers Alert welcomed two new staff to the family; Jeremiah Osogbue and Omotola Omotayo into the ICT Officer and the Media Officer offices, respectively.

Lawyers Alert also released Mr Lazarus Ahangba her Programs Director for close to a decade. We wish him all the best as he steers his organization and we congratulate him on this huge accomplishment.

FOREWORD & ACKNOWLEDGEMENT By Chair, Governing Board

Lawyers Alert is pleased to present its Strategic Plan for the period 2021-2025. This Plan clearly outlines the strategic vision and goals collectively identified by the Members, Board, Management and Staff towards realizing the Organization’s potentials and fulfilling its vision and mission to the world in an effective and efficient manner.

Lawyers Alert has been monitoring human rights violations associated with petty offences in the last 2 years. Petty offences are said to be “victimless” offences i.e., where no one suffers any injury, but the actor is said to have committed an offence and often sent to jail. Others define it as those offences that do not necessarily deserve custodial sentences. Examples of petty offences including hawking, loitering, alms-seeking, etc.