A rights group, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has called on the Nigerian government to do more to honor the international treaties on torture and other forms of ill-treatment, which the country is a signatory to.
The call is coming from the Executive Director of RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma as International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is marked globally today.
The global event is observed every year on June 26, as approved by the United Nations General Assembly in 1997, to raise awareness about the suffering of people who undergo torture.
According to Nwanguma, in a statement, the RULAAC is concerned about the level of commitment and compliance by the Nigerian government to its obligations under the Convention against Torture (CAT) and the Optional Protocol to the CAT (OpCAT).
“Nigeria ratified the CAT in 2001 and the OpCAT in 2007.
“Successive periodic reviews of member states’ compliance with their obligations under the CAT and OpCAT and other regional and international human rights legal standards, repeatedly show that Nigeria has not done enough to implement the provisions of these treaties.
“Reports from human rights organizations have indicated that torture and other forms of ill-treatment still occur in detention facilities and other security agencies in Nigeria,” he said.
The RULAAC executive director urged the Nigerian government to use the global observance, to renew its commitment towards meeting its obligations under the various treaties and conventions on torture, which the country signed on to.
He said, “On this day to commemorate victims of torture, RULAAC calls on the Nigerian government to see it as a call to action, to take their obligations under the CAT and OpCAT seriously and implement measures to eradicate torture and other forms of ill-treatment.
“It should also be a reminder to security agencies to respect the human rights of detainees and ensure that they are treated humanely, with dignity and respect.
“Additionally, RULAAC calls for accountability for perpetrators of torture and other forms of ill-treatment and justice for victims.”
