POLICE AND THE REPORT ON TORTURE The ‘Tiger Base’ Police Unit in Owerri should be investigated
A recent report by Amnesty International on a police unit in Owerri, Imo State capital, deserves attention. The unit is allegedly involved in rampant violations, including extrajudicial executions, torture, and extortion. Titled, ‘Tiger Base of Atrocities: Human Rights Violations by Nigeria Anti-Kidnapping Unit in Owerri’, the report details how “detainees are kept in filthy, windowless cells and subjected to regular beatings,” while “many are locked up for weeks or months, without charge. Others have been shot or forcibly disappeared.” According to the report, a unit established to tackle kidnapping and armed robbery has instead been unlawfully killing suspects, torturing detainees to coerce them into confessing to bogus crimes, and arresting people for the sole purpose of extracting lucrative bribes for their release.
We are surprised by the lack of response to the report. Torture is a violation of human rights, and the country must not be seen to be violating such rights. Section 34 (1) of the 1999 constitution states that: “Every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person, and accordingly, (a) no person shall be subjected to torture, or to inhuman or degrading treatment.” But notwithstanding the provision, not a few Nigerians have experienced one form of torture or another in the hands of the police. Therefore, rather than waste efforts on denial, authorities in Nigeria should focus energy on finding a solution by making sure that law enforcement agents do their job without necessarily resorting to torture.
A United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Manfred Nowak once undertook a mission to Nigeria, following an invitation to him by the federal government. In his report to the UN Human Rights Council, Nowak wrote as follow: “On the basis of an analysis of the legal system, visits to detention facilities, interviews with detainees, the support of forensic medial evidence, and interviews with government officials, lawyers and representatives of NGOs, the Special Rapporteur concluded that torture and ill-treatment is widespread in police custody, and particularly systemic in the Central Criminal Investigation Department.” He concluded by saying that his findings were not new, as many “credible human rights organisations, as well as United Nations human rights mechanisms, have documented and concluded that torture is widespread in the country (Nigeria) and the conditions in detention are unacceptable.”
However, it should be stated that most police personnel in the country don’t torture suspects because they enjoy inflicting pain on them or just for the sake of doing so: they do so because it is the easiest way available for them to get evidence to prosecute cases. Poorly trained and ill-equipped, the only investigation technique many know is to force out confessions from suspects. So, to stop the police from torturing suspects, we must also enhance their capacity to do their job.
Considering the gravity of the situation, Amnesty International Nigeria Country Director, Isa Sanusi, has called for “an independent, impartial and effective investigation of the atrocities committed by Tiger Base unit police officers in Owerri” to examine the conduct of the Commander and other officers and their involvement in human rights violations, corrupt practices and other misconducts.
We urge the Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, to investigate the Amnesty Report on the ‘Tiger Base’ Police Unit in Owerri and take corrective action. Beyond that, there should be a new reorientation on the investigation of crime beyond ‘confessional statements’ that are most often extracted from suspects under extreme torture. Nigeria is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention Against Torture. The time has come for the country to live up to this commitment.
