We do not torture prisoners – Nigeria Correctional Service makes clear
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The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) has made insinuations to the contrary in certain areas. The bureau does not torture prisoners, saying this practice violates bureau regulations.
Mr. Barr is the assistant comptroller of the prison in charge of its operations. Emmanuel Nwekeze for members of the National Committee Against Torture (NCAT), organized by the Government of France Without Borders under the United Nations Convention Against Torture (ProCAT) Promotion Project, with support from the Australian High Commission in Nigeria. explained in capacity development. united nations.
He said, “In the first place, the reason why our people changed the name from prison, which refers to torture, to correction, which removes torture and talk of rehabilitation and correction, is to comply with human rights sanctions for correctional services. ”.
“We are at the forefront of promoting human rights. It is already enshrined in our laws, and part of that law states that prisoners may not be tortured. In fact, in 2019 Under the new provisions of the Nigeria Correctional Services Act, inmates are not allowed to work for the staff.Therefore, you will not see torture anywhere in our custody.It is just that sometimes we The only problem we have is the congestion we have and we are working diligently to fix it.”
He pointed out that there is a mechanism for inmates to lodge complaints when such incidents occur, and that all correctional facilities have welfare staff to ensure that inmates receive appropriate welfare treatment. It noted that any instances of inhumane or degrading treatment may be reported.
He said the service was retraining its staff to act within the law, adding: “We are currently not dealing with any cases of torture.”
Angela Uwandu Uzoma Iwuchukwu, Country Director of ASF France, said the training was to assist NCAT members in effectively carrying out their mission to curb torture in Nigeria. .
She said: “We also know that here in Nigeria we have a national law against torture, the Prohibition of Torture Act 2017. Part of the commission’s mandate is to ensure the enforcement of this law, and we are leading the way. We look forward to working with you on various aspects and strategies to ensure, on the one hand, accountability for perpetrators of torture in Nigeria and, on the other hand, access to justice for victims of torture.” We are lobbying the committee through this. We know that torture is commonly practiced by law enforcement agencies, but we will work with the various security agencies that we have mandates within the committee to send the message that torture is not business as usual. This is a strong message that we are doing it. ”
Leanne Johnston, special envoy of the Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, said that although the Nigeria Declaration was codified in the Anti-Torture Act 2017, the law had not been 100 per cent complied with to date.
“We continue to hear from partners, NGOs, civil society, lawyers, the media and the victims themselves that torture was carried out by those charged with protecting the rights of individuals under the Act,” he said. We often hear stories: For example, there are a lot of people sitting in correctional centers.
Today they are only there thanks to torture-induced confessions.
“Again, it is in this vein that we hear that members of the new government, including His Excellency President Tinubu, not only acknowledge that mistakes have been made in the past, but also remain committed to protecting the rights of the people. I am pleased that the new government is working to change the culture of government agencies covered by the Act from one that tolerates acts such as torture to one that does not, as the Act intends. To welcome.”
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Source: guardian.ng