UN subcommittee on torture prevention to visit Nigeria treatment of detainees

The United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) is set to visit Nigeria from September 8 to 19 to assess the treatment of individuals in detention and evaluate the country’s progress in strengthening human rights protections.

The SPT delegation, led by Aisha Shujune Muhammad, will visit various detention facilities, including prisons, police stations, and psychiatric institutions, to assess the treatment of individuals and identify areas for improvement.

The delegation will also engage with Nigerian authorities, notably the National Human Rights Commission, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders to discuss torture prevention measures and mechanisms.

“The SPT’s visit is an opportunity for Nigeria to advance its commitment to torture prevention and to strengthen safeguards in detention places,” said Aisha Shujune Muhammad, Head of the delegation.

“It is also an occasion to help the authorities set up a National Mechanism for Prevention of Torture (NPM), an obligation under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture that Nigeria ratified in 2009.”

The SPT will present its “confidential preliminary observations” to the Nigerian government at the end of the visit and share a confidential report detailing concerns and recommendations.

The SPT delegation will comprise Aisha Shujune Muhammad (Maldives), Head of the delegation, Satyabhooshun Gupt Domah (Mauritius), Andrew Christoffel Nissen (South Africa), and Victor Zaharia (Moldova), and will be accompanied by two Human Rights Officers from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.