Participants at a human rights training program for Journalists have called on the Federal Government to do more to uphold the human rights of Nigerians, and to help in the current push to stop the use of torture by its security agents. They also noted that the Nigerian society is full of torture inducing elements, that need to be eradicated for the benefit of our society.
The two-day training programme which was facilitated by Advocats Sans Frontieres (Lawyers Without Borders) with support from the German Embassy, held at the Amber Residence, Ikeja with over 15 Journalists from print and electronic media in attendance.
In her opening remarks, Promoting Convention Against Torture (ProCat) Case Law Manager of Avocats Sans Frontiers France, Mrs Edugie Amihere, stressed the need for Nigerians to understand and uphold the fundamental human rights of everyone. She maintained that since the nation is a signatory to various international law and conventions on human rights, the rights of its citizens as provided in these international laws and our Constitution should be sacrosanct.
While lamenting the rising cases of human rights abuses and the use of torture as a major tool of oppression, Mrs. Amihere expressed her joy that the training is timely, because of the level human rights abuses using torture as a weapon have reached in our society.
During the training, topics such as accountability of perpetrators of human rights abuses under the Anti-Torture Act 2017, prevention of human rights abuse, human rights advocacy, among others were discussed.