NHRC warns law enforcement agencies against torture

AS Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate the 2017 International Day in support of victims of torture, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called on security agencies to eschew any form of torture and degrading treatments in their operations and embrace modern techniques of investigation.

The Commission equally expressed concern over private citizens’ involvement in this ugly practice; describing it as deeply disturbing.

The Acting Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Mrs Oti Ovrawah who made this call in Abuja at the eve of the 2017 International Day in support of victims of torture observed every year on June 26, called on law enforcement agencies to always ensure that those who indulge in any act of torture are duly punished in accordance with the law.

A statement by the Commission on Sunday quoted the acting NHRC boss as saying that torture is a crime under the international law and as such there should not be any impediments in punishing culprits.

The Acting Head of the Commission disclosed that in a bid to address the issue of torture and other human rights violations, the Commission in line with its mandate has continually organized training for law enforcement officers on the need to mainstream human rights principles in their operations which she noted has yielded positive results.

In addition to this, Mrs Ovrawah stated that recommendations in the Commission’s prisons audit and other interventions have brought some sanity in the process of arrest, investigation, detention and prosecution of crime suspects in the country and that the Commission is not resting on its oars to ensure that the fundamental rights of suspects and convicts in prison are protected.