In a bid to end torture, police brutality and human rights violations, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is set to constitute a panel for investigation of cases of torture and human rights violations in the country.
Chief Tony Ojukwu (SAN), Executive Secretary of the NHRC made the revelation on Thursday at an event by the National Human Rights Commission in collaboration with Civil Society Forum to celebrate the 2022 International Human Rights Day in Abuja.
He opined that one of the ways to prevent torture is to ensure that there is accountability for those who committed torture in Nigeria.
It would be recalled that the NHRC had earlier constituted the Independent Investigation Panel on Human Rights Violations by the defunct SARS and other units of the Nigeria Police (IIP-SARS) to probe cases human rights violations after the #EndSARS protest.
According to Ojukwu “the first thing the commission will do in the coming year (2023) will be to constitute another panel for the investigation of cases of torture, police brutality and human rights violations. Because we think one of the ways to prevent torture is to ensure that there is accountability for those who committed torture”.
He emphasised that the commission is determined to confront issue of prohibition of torture as part of System of investigation of complain brought before the law enforcement agents. “Our vision as a commission is to not only do a work of SARS panel and then go to sleep, because if you recall, the last panel was after end SARS protest in October 2020”.
He explained that the commission is committed and have already advertised in the newspapers, calling members of the public who have genuine and concrete provable cases of torture and other human rights violations to please file their complaints. “This will also be in addition to daily complaints we receive in the commission” he said.
He maintained that part of the recommendations of the white paper on SARS report, was the need to have sustained mechanism to deal with issue of police brutality, impunity and human rights violations.
“We are determined that police officers or law enforcement agents who go out of their way to use torture need to be stopped, they need to be held accountable. And the only way to do this is to have this panel to review cases and give Nigerians the hope that if they are tortured there will be a consequence.
“And also to let the law enforcement agencies to know that it can no longer be business as usual in terms of the way they carry out their investigations. And the law is also there, you remember we have the anti torture act since 2017, which has now made torture a criminal offence.
He continued “The administration of criminal Justice is also there, but the commission has a duty to make sure that the lofty ideals of this legislation are realised. And one way we think we can do that is to continue to have these panels that will review cases of torture.
“We are going to extend further because the law says if any police officer or law enforcement agent is proven to have used torture during a criminal trial to obtain evidence, that person should be charged for using torture.
“We will conduct a research and review all these cases and identify some people and make sure they are prosecuted. We are going to leave no stone unturned”.
He disclosed “because of the confidence the government have in the commission, the National Committtee against Torture has been reconstituted by the federal government. And the commission is the Secretariat of the committee”.
Earlier, the chairman of NHRC governing council, Dr. Salamatu Suleiman stated that the 2022 International Human Rights Day is 16 days of events that will culminate on 10th of December.
In a goodwill message, Dr. Uju Agomoh, Executive Director of PRAWA, applauded the commission for its focus and direction on the theme for this year’s celebration.
Agomoh expressed delight that over 100 persons received compensation at the end of the IIP-SARS panel sittings.
“We will work with you to ensure the visibility given to torture, extra judicial killings and enforced disappearance” Agomoh said.
Meanwhile, Maeve Rene-Barry and James Lin of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) jointly presented the Thematic Report on Torture, Extra Judicial Killings and Enforced Disappearance.
Highlight of the event was the launch of a document “Nigeria: The End of Impunity, Decisions rendered by the Independent Investigative Panel on Torture committed by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
