Nigeria: Council pledges support against torture, inhuman treatment

The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) is partnering with the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Nigeria to end torture and other inhuman and degrading treatment.
The Representative of the ICRT, Mr James Lin, made the pledge during the one day National Workshop on Torture Prevention and Rehabilitation in Abuja.
The Deputy Director, Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), Ogechi Ogu, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
The workshop was held for members of the reconstituted National Committee against Torture (NCAT).
The workshop was aimed at training the NCAT to submit periodic reports on what needed to be done to minimize torture in the country.
This also included relevant stakeholders to brainstorm on how to strengthen the National Preventive Mechanism on Torture.
Lin called for renewed commitment of the Nigerian government towards elimination of torture across the nation.
He urged Nigeria to take the next step through collaboration of relevant stakeholders to investigate and prevent torture.
According to him, torture should not be seen as something to leverage on when investigating.
“Government at all levels must come together to ensure that torture is prevented and eradicated totally in Nigeria.
“I want to call on relevant stakeholders to key into ensuring that torture be forgotten and not be used as any form of investigations or probing of suspects among others,” he said.
Earlier, the Executive Director of PRAWA, Dr Uju Agomoh, called for continued awareness and collaboration of stakeholders to end torture.
Agomoh, however, added that CSOs must support the government in bridging the gap and harmonized the recommendations for collective gain.
“There is the need for action by all stakeholders to end impunity and other factors that trigger torture.
“I urge for the entrenchment of rules through education and training to resist torture in all faculties of the society,” she said.