Enforce anti-torture law, end impunity, ASF France charges FG

By Admin

Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France), also known as Lawyers Without Borders France, has called on the Federal Government to end the culture of impunity surrounding torture by fully implementing the Anti-Torture Act and ensuring justice for victims.

The appeal came on Thursday as the organisation marked the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, using the occasion to renew its demand for greater accountability, stronger protection for survivors and urgent measures to help them rebuild their lives.

According to ASF France, although the Anti-Torture Act was signed into law in 2017, it remains largely unenforced more than eight years later. The organisation said the continued delay has denied many survivors the protection, compensation and rehabilitation guaranteed under the legislation.

Since beginning its anti-torture work in Nigeria in 2009, ASF France said it has supported the fight against torture through legal aid, documentation, advocacy and survivor assistance. It added that more than 1,000 torture victims have received direct legal support, with many securing redress before Nigerian courts and regional human rights bodies.

While expressing concern over the slow pace of implementation, the organisation welcomed the Federal Ministry of Justice's announcement that the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for the Anti-Torture Act have reached the gazetting stage.

ASF France described the development as encouraging but stressed that gazetting the regulations must quickly be followed by full implementation if investigations, prosecutions and support mechanisms for victims are to function effectively.

"Perpetrators of torture must be held accountable if Nigeria is to break the cycle of impunity," said Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, Country Director of ASF France in Nigeria.

"Gazetting the IRR must be followed immediately with training for law enforcement, funding for rehabilitation, and visible prosecutions. Survivors cannot wait any longer for justice," she said.

The organisation urged the Federal Government to expedite the gazetting and enforcement of the Anti-Torture Act's Implementing Rules and Regulations, ensure independent investigations and prosecution of alleged perpetrators, and establish adequately funded medical, psychosocial and legal support services that are accessible to survivors.

ASF France maintained that torture is a crime under both Nigerian and international law, insisting that genuine support for survivors must go beyond legislation alone.

"Honouring survivors means moving from law on paper to justice in practice," the organisation said.

ASF France is an international non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting human rights and expanding access to justice. In Nigeria, it implements the eRIGHTS and anti-torture programmes, providing free legal assistance to victims of torture and other human rights violations.

Tinubu unveils National Health Tech Office, appoints Obi Adigwe to lead digital overhaul

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President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO), a major institutional reform designed to fast-track Nigeria's transition to a digitally driven healthcare system. The president also named pharmaceutical researcher and technology expert, Dr Obi Adigwe, as the agency's pioneer National Coordinator.

A statement released by the Presidency said the new office will be domiciled in the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare and will serve as the country's central platform for coordinating digital health, data analytics and technology integration across the healthcare sector.

According to the Presidency, the NHTDAO is not intended to replace existing agencies or departments, rather, it will provide strategic coordination by bringing together public and private sector efforts, setting interoperability standards and driving implementation of the National Digital Health Architecture approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025.

The initiative is expected to deepen the use of technology and data in healthcare delivery, strengthen collaboration across institutions and support evidence-based policymaking in line with the Tinubu administration's Renewed Hope Agenda.

 Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, said President Tinubu expects the new office to accelerate Nigeria's transition to "a secure, interoperable and data-driven health system that improves outcomes for all citizens."

Adigwe assumes the role with extensive experience in pharmaceutical research, innovation and health technology. As Director General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), he led several initiatives spanning artificial intelligence, translational research and technology transfer.

His record includes coordinating a ¥300 million nanotechnology grant, overseeing the AFREXIMBank-backed establishment of Africa's first Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) Training Facility and leading the roadmap that secured an €18 million European Union grant, the largest awarded in Africa within the thematic area.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Adigwe also gained international recognition for leading what was described as the world's first scientific analysis debunking claims surrounding the controversial Covid Organics herbal preparation.

To provide strategic direction and oversight, the President approved a high-level steering committee co-chaired by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Olaniyi Yusuf.

Other members include the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako; Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Kachollom Daju; the President's Special Adviser on Technology and Digital Economy, Idris Alubankudi Saliu; National Coordinator of the SWAp Coordination Office, Dr Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq; National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain, Dr Abdu Mukhtar.

Others are Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Muyi Aina; Director General of the National Health Insurance Authority, Dr Kelechi Ohiri; as well as representatives of the National Information Technology Development Agency, the six geopolitical zones and industry stakeholders.

The establishment of the NHTDAO marks a significant step by the Federal Government towards modernising healthcare through digital innovation. It is also expected to improve coordination across the health sector while expanding the use of reliable health data for planning, service delivery and better patient outcomes.