•Trains security personnel to stem incidences of violations

By Sola Ogundipe 

THE leadership of the various security agencies in Nigeria have been called upon to promote accountability for human rights violations among their personnel in order to ensure that rising incidences of torture, extrajudicial killing, unlawful detentions  and other human rights violations are checked.

Making the call during a three-day training for  25 security personnel across various agencies in Lagos State, the Country Director, Avocats Sans Frontieres, ASF, France in Nigeria, Ms Angela Uwandu,  said it  was important that security officers are aware not to violate human rights when carrying out their duries. 

Uwandu noted that the essence of the training, held for security officers from the Department of State Security, DSS, Army, Police, Navy, Air Force, and Correctional Centres, was to build the capacity of the participants on respect for human rights. 

“By building their capacity, ASF France, in partnership with CAPIO and the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, believes that it is one key way of building the capacity of security agencies to respect human rights.

“On the other hand, it is also a way of promoting accountability for human rights violation. We provide trainingand support victims  of human rights abuse  through our legal aid  component and we insist that support to victims cannot be complete unless the security personnel who are responsible for violating their rights are also held to account.” 

Uwandu  stated that by providing these trainings on international human human rights standard, it is expected that security personnel will work with higher level of professionalism  and ensure that their actions do not violate human rights.  

“Nigeria  has an obligation to ensure that all those within the Nigerian State whether citizens or non-citizens enjoy fully the human rights that are in the UN charter and also the various instruments ratified by the country. 

“We see this as a first step  but it is not enough. We want  the training being implemented in the everyday  activities of the agencies, and where there are continued infractions, we will  ensure that they are held to account. We are trying to balance the engagement

“On the other hand, it is also a way of promoting accountability for human rights violation. We also believe it is one of the ways of buiding accountability and ensure that they are policing work and that their duties are in line and in concert with the rule of law and human rights. We want them to understand that human rights is a core component of their duties as policing agencies.

Uwandu noted that ASF France has provided free legal services to over 170 victims of torture, persons  arbitrarily detained and also to the families of victims of extrajudicial killings on the platform of the project across Lagos, Enugu and Kaduna States.  

“One of the things that we have observed at ASF France, is the high level of commitment with regards to the leadership of the various  agencies. There  is commitment from the security agencies to have their personnel  trained, and their capacity built on human rights and that is welcome on our part.