New Haven Police station stinks, says NHRC

The New Heaven Police Station in Enugu State has been discovered to be reeking with filthy and unhygienic cells intentionally designed to force suspects or their families to pay any amount as gratification to avoid entering there.

This was revealed during a question and answer session at a one-day “Capacity Building Training Workshop for Senior Police Officers on the Anti-Torture Act (2017) and Other Legislation that Prohibits Torture” held in Awka, Anambra State capital.

The workshop, which was organised by a non-governmental organisation under the aegis of Access to Justice and sponsored by the European Union and the British Council, drew participants from different police formations across Anambra State.

The unfortunate revelation was made by one of the resource persons and Deputy Director (Investigations) National Human Rights Commission, Mrs Uche Nwokocha, while throwing more light on the Anti-Torture Act.

She pointed out that notable sections of the Nigerian constitution made torture an offense.

She noted that in the course of their duty, officers from the NHRC toured various police detention cells and found the New Haven station in Enugu to be outrageously terrible.

She said that virtually no cell visited could be accessed without double masks.

Citing relevant sections of the Nigerian Constitution and the United Nations Conventions, she insisted that no one should use torture as a means of extracting information from anyone under whatever condition, saying it was unlawful.