A/HRC/7/3/Add.4 page 45 Appendix II By letter dated 14 September 2007, the Nigerian Government provided comments to the preliminary version of the report transmitted to it on 9 July 2007: 1. I write in fulfilment of Nigeria’s commitment to the Human Rights Council and in acknowledgement of the final draft report submitted by Mr. Manfred Nowak, Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, on his visit to Nigeria from 4 to 10 March 2007. The Federal Government of Nigeria wishes, on behalf of the people of Nigeria, to thank the Special Rapporteur for the painstaking effort which he has taken to detail the findings of his visit in the report. 2. As a state party to the majority of the international human rights instruments, including the Convention on Torture, and as a member of the Human Rights Council, Nigeria remains firmly committed to the promotion, protection and advancement of human rights, as well as to the special procedures mechanism of the Committee against Torture, which affords members the opportunity to evaluate and review, through independent and impartial observers, the human rights records of all members. Indeed, we consider it to be consistent with the objective of this administration to promote a Rule of Law environment that will deepen our democracy. It is against this background that the visit of Mr. Manfred Nowak, Special Rapporteur on Torture, was undertaken at the invitation and support of the Federal Government of Nigeria. We are gratified that the Special Rapporteur highlighted the cooperation he received during his visit, including at the highest levels. 3. The principal aim of the visit was to ‘assess the situation of torture and ill-treatment in Nigeria’ and to ‘offer assistance to the justice, police and prison sectors’ in the Government’s effort to fulfil its commitments under the Convention, in a way that enables the Nigerian Government to correct, improve and strengthen its observance of human rights requirements in governance. It was clear to the Government that to achieve these the inquiry had to be open, unfettered and objective. It is indeed quite gratifying to note that the Special Rapporteur in his report acknowledged the commitment and willingness of the Nigerian Government to subject itself to the universal periodic review. He also acknowledged the country’s commitment to establishing the necessary legal framework for the promotion and protection of human rights, through the signing, ratification and domestication of various international and regional instruments. 4. The only hitch during the visit was in connection with the Special Rapporteur’s inability to inspect the holding cells of the Directorate of State Services (DSS). The Government views this hitch more as an administrative lapse rather than a deliberate attempt to conceal anything from him. The Special Rapporteur arrived at the location without prior knowledge on Sunday night; the low-level cadres he met had neither authority nor instruction to let him into the facility. However, in spite of the need for free and unfettered access to places of concern and interest, it is the view of the Nigerian Government that these visits be properly coordinated to achieve the desired results. The Government regrets this unfortunate incident, which it hopes can be avoided in future through proper coordination and communication.