Government tasked to implement anti torture law

ACOALITION of Civil Society Organisations ( CSOS) has called on the Nigerian government to live up to its responsibility by ensuring effective and efficient implementation of the laws on torture.

The CSOS comprising Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action ( PRAWA) and 15 others, noted the need to focus on prevention, protection, accountability and access to justice for torture victims and provision of requisite rehabilitation services to victims/ survivors of torture.

This was contained in a statement signed by the CSOS on celebration of the UN day in support of torture victims, titled, ‘ Need for civil society organisations to stand in the gap for humanity.’

Nigerians were called to pay attention and kick against all acts of torture by the CSOS, who also charged them to be part of interventions targeted at prevention of torture, protection and rehabilitation of torture victims/ survivors.

The statement reads: “The CSOS should take up the mantle of leadership in terms of advocacy and awareness creation on issues of torture, especially the amendment of our laws to accommodate the rights of victims/ survivors of torture to rehabilitation.

“CSOS should lead by providing support and strengthening capacity of the relevant institutions saddled with the responsibility of implementation of the Anti- Torture Act 2017, especially regarding implementation of section 10 on ensuring that the function of overseeing the implementation shall be specifically assigned to a particular office or unit of the agency concerned.

“Section 11 ensures that education and information regarding the prohibition against torture is fully included in the training of law enforcement personnel, civil or military, medical personnel, public officials and other persons, who may be involved in the custody, interrogation or treatment of any individual subjected to any form of arrest, detention or imprisonment and Section 12 of the Act on the making of rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.”

Arresting agencies were urged to allow oversight agencies and civil society organizations unfettered access to detention facilities and to also keep a central database that provides realtime statistics of the number of persons in their custody.