FG strikes to eradicate torture detention amenities
The Federal Government on Wednesday disclosed that it’s dedicated to seeing the tip of torture in locations of detention the place individuals don’t have the liberty to stay at their very own will.
The Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba, said this at a sensitization and advocacy workshop for regulation enforcement companies and different vital stakeholders on the United Nations Convention towards torture, in Abuja.
She famous that the sensitization kinds a part of measures geared toward eradicating using torture by public officers because the act in itself is merciless, inhuman, and degrading remedy.
Jedy-Agba added that the regulation on stopping using torture will probably be expanded to incorporate psychiatric hospitals, detention amenities, and others.
She mentioned, “We are presently reviewing the Anti Torture Act and Regulations to develop the definition of torture and enhance mechanisms to discourage and eradicate torture in locations of detention, resembling deprivation of liberty in Nigeria, resembling police stations, prisons, and different detention amenities, psychiatric hospitals and every other locations the place individuals are usually not permitted to depart at their very own will.
“Psychiatric hospitals where relatives and family members are being taken care of, no matter what they are going through, they are still human and these institutions are to uphold human treatment at all times”.
Speaking significantly to regulation enforcement brokers, she mentioned “Torture is prohibited, unlawful and an offence. Security agents are not allowed to get information from a suspect using torture.”
Jedy-Agba famous that info extracted from a suspect by way of torture shouldn’t be admissible by regulation.
She defined that the definition of torture underneath the related authorized frameworks pertains to acts dedicated by public officers, significantly regulation enforcement, which inflicts ache or struggling, whether or not psychological or bodily on people positioned underneath their custody.
She said that it’s not sufficient to punish perpetrators for committing acts of torture as the federal government on its half, has a accountability to make sure restitution and rehabilitation of victims of torture.
Jedy-Agba urged individuals to work as champions of the federal authorities’s coverage towards torture, keep away from using torture towards residents and undertake anti-torture measures after they return to their varied establishments and organisations.
“As you might be conscious, Nigeria is a signatory to numerous worldwide treaties and conventions such because the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the United Nations Convention towards Torture, all of which assure human rights of each residents in addition to individuals in detention.
“You can also want to notice that the prohibition of torture has since been elevated to the worldwide regulation normal. This signifies that the worldwide group acknowledges the prohibition of torture in all ramifications as so basic, that it supersedes all worldwide treaties. The federal authorities due to this fact prioritizes initiatives geared toward stopping torture and different types of merciless, inhuman, and degrading remedy.
“It is in view of its commitment to human rights standards that the government signed and ratified the United Nations Convention against Torture (UNCAT), Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, and enacted the Anti-Torture Act to prohibit and punish acts of torture committed by public officers” she added.
