A/HRC/7/3/Add.4
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stated that it is “committed to unravelling the circumstances leading to and surrounding the
deaths, which it has established, of two of the detainees, namely; Mr. Elijah John and
Mr. Bayo Abdurmo Adekunk. Their deaths are presently being investigated and the
Government is committed and determined to hold all these found guilty, accountable.”a
52. The Special Rapporteur recommends that independent investigations of all those
responsible for the appalling conditions in the “torture room” and of torture allegations be
carried out in order to bring those responsible to justice (i.e. the alleged perpetrators; those senior
officers who were under a duty to investigate as soon as there were reasonable grounds to
believe that acts of torture had been committed, including the Commissioner and the Deputy
Commissioner; and the medical staff at the CID for denial of medical treatment). The authorities
should ensure that separation of males and females, as well as adults and children, is rigorously
implemented.
V. PORT HARCOURT PRISON, PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE
(Visited on 7 March 2007)
53. The Special Rapporteur was received by Mr. B. K. Bogunjoko, the State Controller of
Prisons, Rivers State, Mr. A. B. Olusola, the Chief Inspector of Prison, and Mr. Alpheous Ottan,
the Duty-Officer. Built in 1918 and one of the largest in the country, the prison was originally
built to house 804 inmates. On the day of the visit of the Special Rapporteur, the total number of
detainees was 2,420, served by about 194 staff. Ninety-two per cent of the inmates are pretrial
detainees; 4.5 per cent are facing the death penalty; and there were a total of 19 female detainees,
who are locked up in a separate wing.
54. General conditions and treatment in detention. According to the Chief Inspector of
Prison disciplinary measures are set out in the prison regulations and include flogging as well as
detention in a punishment cell. Corporal punishment is inflicted for the offence of bodily harm
against an inmate or warden or participation in a prison riot, and requires the consent of the
prison’s doctor. According to the official, the last caning was carried out two years ago. Solitary
confinement is only possible for up to two days. Reportedly, there has been one case of staff
misbehaviour which has been sanctioned with extra-duty. Detainees can leave the cells from
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Special Rapporteur notes with concern that staff members have not received
any salary for already three months.
a
However, on 20 September 2007, in a meeting with the Special Rapporteur in Geneva, the
Permanent Representative of Nigeria informed him that Mr. John and Mr. Adekunk were
subsequently found to be alive and have received medical treatment. Despite repeated requests
for details of their situation, including their whereabouts and medical treatment reports, no
information has been provided to date.
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