There are nominal but unenforced legal procedural safeguards regarding detention, the need for search warrants, and other protections of prisoners' rights. Judicial warrants are required. Generally, however, the police arrest suspects without having obtained warrants. Authorities also continued to hold citizens of Nigeria, Ghana, Gabon, and other countries to secure bribes. The Government does not force citizens into exile.
Corruption is rampant.
The court system, composed of lower provincial courts, appeals courts, and a Supreme Court, is rarely used. The President appoints members of the Supreme Court, and they are responsive to him. There are traditional courts in the countryside, in which tribal elders adjudicate civil claims and minor criminal matters. The Constitution and laws passed by the Chamber of Deputies provide for legal representation and the right of appeal. In practice, authorities do not uniformly respect these provisions.