The three BASIC fundamental rights of a citizen are

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the three basic (most fundamental) rights of a citizen. The key word is "basic," so we are looking for the foundational rights from which other rights flow.

Step 2: Explain the concept Fundamental human rights are the rights guaranteed to citizens by the constitution. They are protected in Chapter IV of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution. The classical, most basic rights come from the political thinker John Locke, who identified them as:

• Life: the right to live and not be killed arbitrarily
• Liberty: the right to personal freedom
• Property: the right to own and protect what you acquire

Other rights, such as expression, worship, assembly, movement and education, are extensions of these three.

Step 3: Evaluate the options

• A. education, property and thought: Education is a social right, not one of the three basic ones. Wrong.
• B. expression, employment and education: These are secondary rights, and employment is not a basic fundamental right. Wrong.
• C. healthcare, worship and equal hearing: A mix of socio-economic and legal rights, not the core three. Wrong.
• D. life, liberty and property: This matches the classical basic rights. Correct.
• E. peaceful assembly, movement and family life: These are specific freedoms, not the foundational three. Wrong.

Step 4: Answer The correct answer is D. life, liberty and property.

Exam tip: Remember L-L-P: Life, Liberty, Property (John Locke's natural rights). If you see this trio in the options, it is almost always the answer to a "basic rights" question.