Section 34 of the Constitution states that no person shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment. The Anti Torture Act 2017 makes it a criminal offence for the police and others to subject a person to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment.
Videos showing agents of the state assaulting citizens for straying outside despite movement restrictions have surfaced online. Torture was criminalized in Nigeria in 2017. I condemn the torture of citizens. The police and military authorities should punish their erring officers.
While I urge citizens to be responsible and adhere to the directives of the government in the overall public interest, those who contravene the extant regulations should be afforded the due process of law. We cannot act like a primitive society because of COVID-19 pandemic.



BY:
IHENSEKHIEN SAMUEL JNR ,LLM,ARCB.
ACTIVIST AND LAWYER,
SAMUELIHENSEKHIEN@REDIFFMAIL.COM