New Punishment For Security Officers Involved In Torture In Nigeria. Daily Law Tips (Tip 401) by Onyekachi Umah, Esq., LLM. ACIArb(UK)
First of all, TORTURE is when pain or suffering, whether physical or mentally is knowingly inflicted on any person to obtain information, punish, intimidate or force such person or any other person by or at the orders of a public official or any person acting on official capacity without lawful sanction/authority. Torture can be physical, mental or even both.
Torture includes; beatings, food deprivation, rubbing of pepper/chemicals, assuming of stressful bodily positions, rape, exposure to cold/sunlight, use of drugs, blindfolding, threat, prolonged interrogation, unscheduled transfer of persons, secret detention, denial of sleep, shaming, stripping naked and parading in public places. There is no justification for torture, not even war, national security or high profile case.
Since 2017, owing to the Anti-Torture Act, the punishment for torture can be up to 25 years imprisonment plus the possibility of payment of monetary compensation and making of public apologies to the tortured person. Where death results from torture it is considered murder and as such punishable with death.
References:
Sections 2, 8 and 13 of the Anti-Torture Act, 2017 and section 35(6) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.
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Feel free to reach the author, ask questions or make inquiries on this topic or any other legal issues via onyekachi.umah@gmail.com or +2348037665878.
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