Government also said that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) would be given powers to arrest and prosecute human rights offenders in the country.

Meanwhile, the African Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in their report, at the opening ceremony of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) 44th Ordinary session taking place in Abuja, called on the Nigerian government, including few other African countries to improve their human rights record.

Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), who was represented at the occasion by the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Mr A.A. Yola said “in furtherance of government rule of law, all agencies involved in investigation and prosecution of crimes have been directed to ensure that persons arrested on suspicious of crime are not detained beyond 48 hours before they are charged to court”.

“I should also mention that the Federal Government is taking deliberate steps to make sure that there are accessible and effective avenues for dealing with human rights violations when they occur.

We realized that an effective human rights complaints mechanism is important to the realization of a culture of human rights and rule of law. To this end, the National Human Rights Commission and other agencies with similar mandate are being strengthened”.

According to him, “specifically, we are in the process of strengthening the legal and institutional framework of the National Human Rights Commission to give it coercive powers to compel people to appear and answer charges of human rights violation. We are also giving them prosecutorial powers”.

Ms Hannah Forster, who presented the African NGOs report, noted that African countries still face serious human right challenges, particularly Nigeria, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Mauritanian and Democratic Republic of Congo amongst others.

According to her, even though the Nigerian government is trying, it should also improve on its human rights, particularly, in the area of arbitrary arrests and illegal detention, adding that Nigeria and other African countries should abide by their human rights obligations.   

Earlier, President Musa Yar’Adua, who was represented at the event by the Energy Minister, Mr Henry Ajumogobia (SAN), commended the country’s judiciary for being in the forefront of the protection of human right in the country.

He called on African countries to continue to support the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights, even as he assured the gathering of Nigeria ’s commitment to human rights, stressing that the commitment still stands. He added that the continent can no longer afford the wars and conflicts that have plagued it.   

ACHPR’s chairperson, Justice Sanji Monageng, in her opening address said, “notwithstanding, 21 years after the adoption of the Charter, the protection and promotion of human rights remains a constant challenge, one that requires our untiring vigilance and ceaseless efforts”.

Aondoakaa, had also said “in the Legal Aid Council, we are expanding their jurisdiction and giving them more financial support to assist indigent people in need of free legal representation.

In this regard too, government has committed N3billion the project of prison decongestion to hire private lawyers to defend awaiting trial persons without legal representation. It id on record that about 30,000 awaiting trial inmates have so far benefited from this project”.

“Government is also aware that achieving respect for human rights of our is a continuous process. We are committed to provide sufficient resources to promote human rights awareness and education. Government also, acknowledges that poverty is a major factor that contribute to the violation of human rights of our citizens.

We are taken deliberate steps to tackle the menace of child abuse and child labour and all forms of tradition practices that infringe on the rights of women and other vulnerable members of society”.

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