ASF tasks Buhari on speedy assent to anti-torture bill
To mark the International Day in support victims of torture, Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF) France joined the United Nations and the rest of the world at the weekend, to promote the prevention and abolition of torture across the world – with specific reference to Nigeria.
The group called on Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari to speedily assent to the anti-torture bill already passed by the 7th National Assembly.
Speaking on the recognition of this day, a representative of the organisation, Angela Uwandu said, “This important day set aside by the United Nations under resolution 52/149, reminds us all of the pain, sufferings, disfiguration, dehumanization and often times death of our fellow citizens who are victims of torture. We hope that the President will give adequate attention to the anti-torture bill. With this law, which would criminalize torture under the Nigerian domestic laws, offenders can be held individually accountable for their acts.”
The group has also called for the strengthening of the national preventive mechanism against torture in Nigeria to ensure its compliance with the standards stipulated in the optional protocol on the convention against torture.
Uwandu noted that torture was still being used in Nigeria as a tool for interrogation, intimidation and punishment by security forces on crime suspects.
“Victims are left in deplorable detention conditions with no access to adequate medical attention for these wounds,” she said.
According to her, justice for victims of torture in Nigeria must include the punishment of perpetrators of these acts of torture. She expressed the need for state and non state actors in Nigeria to stand united in denouncing torture for what it is: a despicable crime which dehumanizes victims.
“All actors must also be committed in preventing torture within the Nigerian territory. A major way forward would be by ensuring that perpetrators of torture are held accountable and brought to justice for their illegal acts,” she reiterated.
In 2014 alone, Avocats Sans Frontières France documented and rendered free legal services to 57 victims of torture across 3 states in Nigeria: Enugu, Kaduna and Plateau. Notably, all 19 of these cases of victims documented in Enugu state had gunshot wounds inflicted by security forces highlighting a very dangerous trend in the state.