A United Nations delegation is set to visit Nigeria from 8 to 19 September 2024 to assess the country’s efforts to prevent torture and improve the treatment of people in detention.
This information was contained in a media advisory made available by Oluseyi Soremekun, National Information Officer at the United Nations Information Centre, on Thursday.
The delegation, part of the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, will visit prisons, police stations, psychiatric institutions, and other detention facilities across the country.
This will be the SPT’s second visit to Nigeria, following their initial mission a decade ago.
The objective of the visit is to evaluate the measures Nigeria has implemented to strengthen the protection of human rights for individuals deprived of their liberty.
“The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture is set to visit Nigeria from 8 to 19 September.
“The SPT delegation will visit various places where individuals are held, including prisons, police stations, and psychiatric institutions, among other facilities,” it reads in part.
The SPT delegation will also engage with Nigerian authorities, including the National Human Rights Commission, and meet with civil society organisations and other stakeholders involved in torture prevention.
“The SPT’s visit is an opportunity for Nigeria to advance its commitment to torture prevention and to strengthen safeguards in detention facilities,” said Aisha Muhammad, Head of the delegation.
Muhammad added that the mission would assist Nigerian authorities in setting up a National Preventive Mechanism, a key obligation under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, which Nigeria ratified in 2009.
At the conclusion of the visit, the UN delegation will present its confidential preliminary observations to the Nigerian government.
A detailed confidential report, outlining concerns and recommendations, will follow. While the findings remain confidential, states are encouraged to request their publication to promote transparency.
The SPT delegation will comprise Aisha Muhammad (Maldives), Head of the delegation; Satyabhooshun Domah (Mauritius); Andrew Nissen (South Africa); and Victor Zaharia (Moldova), and will be accompanied by two Human Rights Officers from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
To date, the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture has been ratified by 94 states.
States are under the obligation to allow the SPT unannounced and unhindered visits to all places where persons are deprived of their liberty.
