To stem the tide of extra judicial torture in the country, the Federal Government, has begun the probe allegations against security agencies in the country.
Chairman of the National Committee on torture, Samson Sani Ameh, told the NEXT in a chat, that his committee is investigating the allegations.
He, however, added that the investigation was not meant to wage war against the agencies.
Not a witch-hunt affair
According to him, “we are not waging war against security agencies that have been complaints of torture against. All we are doing is to ensure that acts of torture are reduced and to shore up the image of the country.” He said the Committee is composed of persons of impeccable ethical values and recognized competence in the field of human rights, and that the mandate of the committee includes “probing cases of extra judicial killings and violation of fundamental human rights of individuals.” According to him, the terms of reference of the committee include receiving and considering communications on torture from individuals, civil society organizations and government institutions and ensuring that education and information regarding the prohibition against torture are fully included in the training of law enforcement personnel, medical personnel and other persons who may be involved in the custody, interrogation or treatment of persons subjected to any form of arrest, detention or imprisonment.
The committee which was inaugurated on September 28 last year has its members largely drawn from outside the government organizations, with the Chairman of the Committee as Mr. Ameh, while the secretary is the Director, Citizens Right Department of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Omo-Osagie.
Mr. Ameh added that administrative measures are being put in place to investigate the Al- Jazeera documentary on extra judicial killings by the Nigeria Police Force as well as the report of local and international human rights organisations, during the Boko Haram crisis, and that any time the report is ready it will be released to the public.
He further disclosed that those who appeared on the Al-Jazeera video clip would be identified and brought to face the wrath of the law. The Inspector General of Police Mr. Ogbonna Onovo was ordered by the Federal Government to investigate the extra-judicial killing of members of the Boko Haram religious sect during its uprising in Maiduguri and other towns last year.
The instruction of the government was necessitated by the video footage broadcast by the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera Television recently, which showed Nigerian Mobile Policemen extra judicially executing scores of Boko Haram captives during the clashes in Maiduguri last July.