ASF France trains security agencies, others on rights violations

Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France) in collaboration with its local partners, the Carmelite Prisoners Interest Organisation (CAPIO) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has trained security agencies on human rights violations.

The training, held in Kaduna was part of its second SAFE mission to increase the level of commitment of stakeholders in taking action against human rights violations in Kaduna State.

ASF France’s SAFE project is co-funded by the European Union (EU) and the French Agency for Development (AFD) and is implemented in partnership with the Nigerian Bar Association and the Carmelite Prisoners’ Interest Organisation (CAPIO).

The two-day training was aimed at promoting the enjoyment of human rights, training for media and CSOs, training for security agencies and a stakeholder meeting.

It was themed: “Strengthening the National Actors Capacities and Advocation for Ending Severe Human Rights Violations in Nigeria project”, and funded by the European Union and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

Head of office, Avocats Sans Frontières France, Angela Uwandu, said the mission of the SAFE project would provide updates on the status of its implementation, and ensure the need for the continued partnership of the stakeholders to fully achieve the goals of the project.

In the same vein, the meeting was aimed at deliberating on key issues such as challenges for the implementation of the anti-torture act, disciplinary mechanisms within security agencies for human rights violations, implementation of the administration of criminal justice law and other specific issues raised by participants during the trainings for security agencies and media and CSOs.

“The importance of the Anti-torture Act criminalizes torture while protecting victims and witnesses of torture for a quick implementation to promote accountability,” Uwandu said.

Twenty participants drawn from the media and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) took part in the programme aimed at addressing human rights violations of torture, extra-judicial killings and arbitrary detention.

Others were officers of the Police, EFCC, NCDC, Corrections Service, DSS, Kaduna State Vigilante Service, Nigerian Army and NDLEA.

Earlier, ASF paid visit to Kaduna State Coordinator, National Human Rights Commission, Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Comptroller General of Corrections Service, and the Chief Judge, Kaduna State High Court.