From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
An Abuja based NGO, Legend Golden Care Foundation (LGCF), has said it is intensifying its campaign against torture and abuse in the country.
The Executive Director, LGCF, Mrs. Kanayo Olisa-Metuh, stated this at the opening of a workshop on rehabilitation and psychosocial support for torture victims within the Nigerian Criminal Justice System, organised by the organisation in Abuja. Olisa-Metuh, said her organisation has commenced series of awareness programmes and legal advocacy to check torture.
The Executive Director, while calling for implementation of laws and treaties that prohibit torture, said it is committed to a sustainable psychosocial support for victims of torture in the country.
According to her, “there are international treaties (some of which we’ll be looking at in the course of this workshop) which not only prohibit torture but also require rehabilitation and psycho social support for victims.
“Nigeria as a nation has ratified these treaties and expressed its firm commitment to the implementation of them. We also have domestic laws that are used to implement these international obligations.
“Nothing justifies torture, nothing, not war not public emergencies or even obeying superior orders can be used to justify torture. Torture is one of the serious crimes that can be committed against a human being. It aims to dehumanise through calculated acts of cruelty, it removes the dignity of the victims and generally leaves them powerless.
“It is important to note that torture is not just physical, it can be mental. It is also important to note that torture is not only perpetuated through the act, it can also be perpetuated through an omission”.
Olisa-Metuh said if states cannot totally eliminate cases of torture, “it must not only investigate and punish offenders but also offer rehabilitation and psycho social support for victims” especially as the effect of torture often lasts a lifetime.