The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr. Tony Ojukwu, San has emphasized the need for an urgent change in Nigeria drug policies and a renewed national commitment to end torture in the country.
Speaking virtually in the joint commemoration of International Day 2025 against drug abuse and illicit traffic and United Nations International Day in support of torture victims held in Abuja, Dr. Ojukwu regretted that millions of people continue to face dehumanization, not because they have committed crimes, because they are poor, vulnerable, additional, detained or simply saw.
Ojukwu, who requested the protection of advanced dignity and justice, said the last summary of commission policies, “punishment for protection: human rights in the heart of Nigeria drug policies”, advocates the decriminalization of drug use, investment in damage reduction and the protection of drug users' rights.
The Chief of the NHRC described the event with the theme of the event: “Protect dignity, the progress of justice: a joint dialogue on the reform of drug policy and the prevention of torture in Nigeria” as a powerful call to action and a moment of accounts for the systems of justice and human rights of Nigeria.
He strongly criticized the predominant punitive approach for drug use, which he had led to generalized human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests, torture and discrimination.
“Drug -related imprisonment in Nigeria is overwhelmingly composed of non -violent and low -level crimes, however, access to treatment and damage reduction services remain among the lowest in Africa,” he said and aligned his comments with the global theme of World Drug Day this year: “The evidence is clear: invest in prevention.”
He urged the government and Nigerian interested parties to see drug users as patients, non -criminals, and to channel resources on evidence -based prevention and rehabilitation services.
The event also commemorated the International Day in support of the victims of torture. The Chief of the NHRC expressed concern about the continuous use of torture, particularly in arrests and detention related to drugs, describing it as a stain in Nigeria's conscience.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the commission to monitor detention facilities through its National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), in line with the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) and guided by international standards such as the Istanbul Protocol and the Méndez principles.
In a message aimed at policy formulators, international partners, civil society and survivors, Ojukwu requested courage, compassion and collaboration and reaffirmed the commitment of the NHRC to make human rights the cornerstone of the Nigerian drug control and justice systems.
In a message of good will in the event, the general controller of the Nigerian correctional service, said Sylvester Nwakuche, drug abuse and illicit traffic have an excessive impact on the trajectory of crime in today's society, since many people are in detention centers for crimes related to drug abuse or drugs that drugs contributed to why the crimes were committed.
He expressed concern that the trend is increasing in an uncontrollable proportion and added that the Nigerian correctional service is strategic in the architecture of the criminal justice system.
“Almost all arrests, arrests and prosecutions that emanate from several agencies for the application of the law end in the custody centers, where they are in mass as inmates, and they remain more time as waiting for persons or convicts of judgment, such as the case.
“For our part, the Nigerian correctional service remains at the rubrics: accept the rejected, guide the wrong, giving hope and comfort that ruins, by the force of leadership and personality.
“Since then, the Nigerian correctional service has traveled from the remuneration as its modus operandi in accordance with the global best practices. In this sense, the service develops a methodology to identify the existence and causes of the antisocial behaviors of the inmates, when performing risks and needs, aimed at developing the appropriate correction strategy for the reform, rehabilitation and reintegration,” said the message of the event.