We learnt Olisa Metuh reportedly fought officials of the EFCC on the interrogation room where he was taken after his arrest and torn a confessional statement he had written and attempted to chew it. He is therefore considered a defendant with violent disposition.

Some Nigerians, especially the PDP apologist have been making insinuation of sectional bias against Metuh. The commenters challenged the rationale behind Metuh being handcuffed to court, of which such humiliating measure was not meted on Colonel Sambo Dasuki, Rahmond Dokpesi and others who are facing similar charges.

A human rights lawyer and constitutional lawyer, Barr. Okoi Obono-Obla in a chat with News Punch editor revealed that he constitution empowers the law enforcement agents and officers of the Nigerian Prisons Service the to handcuff a defendant who manifests violent disposition such as claimed Olisa Metuh did.

According to Obono-Obla, the administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and the Nigerian Prisons Act, 2010, states that a defendant who is violent or manifest violent tendencies is liable to be handcuffed or bound outside the Court room . It is only when duch a defendant is entering the Court room, that the Wardens are required to remove the handcuffs or leg chain. He said, the handcuffing or leg chaining a defendant is permitted by law and does not in any way violates the Fundamental human rights of a defendant

“Granted that the Constitution says that a defendant or criminal suspect is to be treated with dignity and humanity; handcuffing such a defendant cannot under any stretch of imagination amounts a contravention of the Constitution.”


“Recall that a former Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun was handcuffed during Obasanjo presidency by the EFCC when he was charged and nobody alleges regional or ethnic bias.”

“Dasuki did not manifest violent disposition when he was arrested but he fully cooperated with officials of EFCC. But Olisa Metuh decided to be violent and recalcitrant”, Obono-Obla concluded