Sowore Demands Ban on ‘Black Maria’ Vans, Calls for Humane Inmate Transport

Human rights advocate Omoyele Sowore has urged authorities to stop using “Black Maria” vans for moving awaiting trial inmates. Speaking at the Magistrate Court in Abuja, he described the practice as inhumane. He said detainees are treated like convicted criminals in overcrowded, poorly ventilated vans. Sowore argued this amounts to punishment before conviction and violates the presumption of innocence. He suggested that if such vehicles must still operate, they should be reserved only for high-profile public office holders, citing former AGF Abubakar Malami as an example.

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