WELCOME TO HELL FIRE


July 30, 2015 ended way too sad. Too quick. He had next to no time to look forward to a wonderful Friday. Not enough time to pray for little Tomisin, looking deathly, down with a fiery fever. His little girl nears death.

Behind him lies the memory of his estranged wife, who had found new love. Before him, a candle in the wind.

The room was beginning to get draughty. Noise coming from nearby mills building. It was five in the morning. The little girl was trembling.

Silently, he was praying; not sure of the right words to say, waiting for his doctor to arrive. It didn't take him long to realize that 8:00am was too early for a doctor to drive by.

Tomisin could barely breathe now.

"Tomisin, your doctor is on his way", he whispered to her. "You'll be fine".

It was like a miracle when finally, someone knocked on the door. 10:00am wasn't unreasonably late for the doctor to arrive he judged.

They came in, four of them, in black, making a bee line for him. No sooner had they emerged than he was whisked away.

The Swift Operation Squad, a special police unit, was the first place he was taken to. And then later, to the Anti-KidnappingUnit.

"What do you do for a living Mr...."? "...Dare", he volunteered. "I'm a tailor". He took few more questions and was later bundled off to a special room for torture in the station, nicknamed The Temple.

His world was beginning to fall apart; wondering if the doctor ever came to see his little girl, whether she's dead or alive.

Tying his hands and legs, one of the policemen placed a heavy metal object on his chest. Another grabbed his feet, dragging him across the room. His back against the threadbare carpet barely covering the floor of the room, stopping him right in front of the Officer in Charge of Torture.

"Mr....", the Officer in Charge of Torture paused, trying to remember his name. By this time, Mr. Dare had lost considerable energy that he was incapable of volunteering his name. "...Mr. Dare", another officer behind him whispered. "Yes. Mr. Dare, do you know why they brought you here"?

It was already 1:00pm. The Temple was literally fetid. Torrid. Causing everyone in the room to sweat. Mr. Dare rolled his eyes, was drowning in his own blood. The metal object once on his chest had slid, hitting his jaw real had.

He passed out.

A middle-aged man stood before him, paper in hand, when he woke up. Holding the paper out, he said: "sign here", directing his pen on a spot at the corner of the paper.

Still enervated, he pulled the paper a little closer, running his eyes over it.

"Monipe ko sign sibeyen!", the 48 year old man bellowed, bludgeoning him with his gun right behind his neck. "Sey okin gboran ni"?

He signed, frantically....

Dare was 31 years old when he was arrested from his house in Abeokuta, Ogun State. He was not told why he was arrested, nor was he given access to a lawyer during detention.

Unfortunately Dare's experience is not unique in Nigeria. Amnesty International's research has found that countless other more people have suffered, and continue to suffer similar torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment at the hands of the Nigerian security forces.

Torture and other ill-treatment are absolutely prohibited, at all times, by international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention against Torture (CAT) both of which Nigeria is a state party to. Acts of torture and certain types of other ill-treatment are crimes under international law. The Nigerian Constitution under section 34 also prohibits torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment.

Despite the above, Amnesty International found that torture and other ill-treatment are routine practice in criminal investigations across Nigeria. Suspects in police and military custody across the country are subjected to torture as punishment or to extract "confessions" as a shortcut to "solve" cases.

Many police sections in various states, including the Criminal Investigation Division (CID), have "torture chambers": special rooms where suspects are tortured while being interrogated. Often known by different names like the "temple" or the "theatre", such chambers are sometimes under the charge of an officer known informally as "O/C Torture" (Officer in Charge of Torture).

Amnesty International'sresearch found that police often detain people, sometimes in large dragnet operations, as a pretext to obtain bribes, alleging involvement in various offences ranging from "wandering" (loitering) to robbery. Those who are unable to pay the bribes for their release are often tortured as punishment, or to coerce them to find the money for their release. They also risk being labelled as an "armed robbers" and are then at further risk of being tortured to extract a "confession". Suspects without money are also less likely to be able to access a lawyer, family members or medical treatment.

A wide range of torture methods are used by both military and police, including beatings; shootings; nail and teeth extractions; rape and other sexual violence.

Amnesty International's research into cases of torture, enforced disappearances and deaths in military and police custody, reveals a pattern of inadequate criminal investigation by police and military and a disregard for due process. This facilitates human rights violations in custody, including torture and other ill-treatment; denies people suspected of a crime a fair trial; and ultimately hinders successful prosecution of suspects. Security officials are rarely held accountable for failures to follow due process or for perpetrating human rights violations such as torture. The absence of acknowledgementand public condemnation of such violations by senior government officials further assists in creating a climate for impunity and raises serious concern about the political will to end such human rights violations.

Amnesty International interviewed hundreds of victims who stated that they had been arrested - both by the military and police - without warrants, had been interrogated in incommunicado detention - without having access to their families or lawyers - and had not been produced before a court within a reasonable time. The flouting of such safeguards left them at the mercy of the security forces.

Amnesty International found that the vast majority of complaints about torture and other ill treatment do not lead to an investigation of any kind.

In all the cases researched by Amnesty International, no victim of torture or other ill-treatment was compensated by the government.

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In most cases involving allegations of torture by security forces that Amnesty International has documented, no proper investigations or measures have been taken to bring suspected perpetrators to justice. In cases where investigations have taken place, they were usually internal within the police or military, the findings were not made public and no criminal or disciplinary action was taken against the police or military involved. Thus, the cycle of impunity continues unabated.


- Odira' Stanley Emejulu
Cc: Lalasticlala

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McCarlito:

did you enjoy reading the article?

[quote author=starry001 post=39639101][/quote]
issorite

Like Mrs Koko wud always say "GO straight to the point" you this "I too know"- d article is such a real bitch-it talks too much.

tracekenty:
Like Mrs Koko wud always say "GO straight to the point" you this "I too know"- d article is such a real bitch-it talks too much.