NATIONAL REPORT 2016 The situation for victims of torture and ill-treatment Because there are no regular monitoring visits to police stations, prisons and other places of detention, there are no records of the number of torture victims in the country. However, an opinion poll from June 2015 suggested that 50 percent of the Nigerian population would not feel safe from torture if they were held in custody. 1 Whereas torture victims in Nigeria are predominantly male, there a large number of women who are also affected, with many reporting sexual violence as the primary tool of violence used. Furthermore, a disproportionate number of torture victims are poor, and as such are without the necessary economic means to access proper redress for the crimes committed against them and treatment for injuries inflicted upon them. As a country with a young population, a majority of the victims of torture in Nigeria are young persons who are also the main offenders of violence and conflict within the country. This brings them in contact with law enforcement and security agents, who, in their bid to effectively respond to a rising rate of crime, violence and terrorism, employ maximum force. The most recognised injuries of a victim of torture in Nigeria are physical wounds, which in most cases are left untreated. While easily identifiable marks left by physical injuries receive attention, little or no attention is paid to other psychological and socio-economic impacts of torture on its victims. Such impacts include loss of employment (caused by inability to perform assigned duties due to sustained injuries), susceptibility to the use of drugs (as a coping mechanism), prostitution, and an inability to function effectively within the society due to trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder. Victims of torture illustrate their harrowing experiences. Photograph: courtesy of PRAWA page 6