PRAWA/CLEEN Foundation Situation Report On Torture In Nigeria: Call For Submissions

Background

Nigeria has ratified the Convention Against Torture and is required in accordance with the provisions of Article 19, to submit periodic reports on the measures (legislative, administrative, judicial, other) adopted to implement the rights and obligations enshrined in the Convention against Torture. These reports serve as the basis for the assessment of States parties by the Committee against Torture, which results in the publication of the “concluding observations” (report containing the main concerns and recommendations). Regrettably, Nigeria has failed to submit an initial report 20 years after ratification of the Convention. The CAT has however decided to review the implementation of the convention in the absence of the said report during its upcoming 72nd session (November – December 2021).

The issues that PRAWA/CLEEN Foundation consortium intends to reflect in the report that will be submitted at the 72nd session on Convention Against Torture (CAT) will focus on the following:

Torture as a crime solving tool

  • Correctional centers (prisons) and other detention conditions and abuse
  • Treatment of Mentally ill persons within the Criminal Justice Institutions and Mental health institutions
  • Increased use of pre-trial detention and inefficient administration of criminal justice system
  • Use of lethal force to quell civil unrest and other agitations
  • Arbitrary arrest, torture and extrajudicial killings
  • Lack of adequate checks and balances and ineffective oversight mechanism to prevent torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, and lack of adequate redress mechanisms and rehabilitation for torture victims/survivors.
  • Government (including security and law enforcement officers) acquiescence and inadequate responses to non-state actors acts of violence against innocent citizens.
  • Pandemic induced torture

If your organization is interested in being part of this initiative and contributing to the report, kindly indicate your interest and send your inputs to the underlisted email addresses. Your inputs in relation to the items listed above should provide information utilizing any, some or all of reporting format/structure stated below:

  • Law and policy analysis,
  • Statistical data,
  • Scientific research (empirical) evidence,
  • Victims experiences,
  • Emblematic cases, and/or
  • Other relevant information that can be applied to expatiate, provide credence and/or support for the issues raised above.

Note

The issues above are not exhaustive. They may be expanded to include other issues your organization will like to have included provided that your organization will be in the position to fully draft the sections relating to the additionally suggested issue(s) following the above reporting structure.

Deadline for Submission

Wednesday 22nd September, 2021, 9pm (Nigerian Time/ WAT)

All submissions and contributions should be sent to: info@prawa.org ; cleen@cleen.org

Note

Clarifications can only be sought in writing by communicating the above email address before the above stated submission deadline.

 

Signed: PRAWA/CLEEN Foundation