[JURIST] Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy websiite] condemned Nigeria’s police and military in a report released Thursday for the systematic and routine use of torture on detainees [report, PDF]. Although Nigeria’s Constitution [text] prohibits torture, the country currently has no legislation criminalizing the use of torture in violation of the constitution. According to AI’s report, both the military and the police use a variety of torture techniques [press release] to extract confessions to crimes, and the confessions are heavily relied on during court proceedings. AI concluded by urging the Nigerian government to outlaw torture and hold its officers accountable, and encouraging the international community to offer technical support while Nigeria reviews its laws and policies.

Several international organizations and rights groups have routinely condemned the violence and atrocities occurring in Nigeria. In May the UN criticized Boko Haram for kidnapping more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls [JURIST report] in April with the intention of selling them and “marry[ing] them off.” In March AI published a report denouncing the extremists and security forces for committing war crimes [JURIST report], often against civilians, and urged the parties to abide by several applicable international human rights charters, covenants and courts as well as the humanitarian stance of the UN. In October 2013 AI pressed the Nigerian government to investigate allegations of the deaths of over 950 detainees in military custody [JURIST report], mostly in facilities used to detain members of Boko Haram. Also in October 2013 the Nigerian Socio-Economic and Rights Accountability Project [official website] filed a petition with the International Criminal Court (ICC) endorsing an investigation into the killing of 43 college students and their teachers [JURIST report], reportedly by Boko Haram. The ICC has accused Boko Haram of committing war crimes and has been assessing whether Nigerian authorities are proceeding properly [JURIST reports] in response to the crimes.