By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – As Nigeria joins the rest of the globe to commemorate this year’s World Drug Day and International Day Against Torture, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr. Tony Ojukwu, OFR, SAN has highlighted the inextricable link between Nigeria’s outdated drug laws and the prevalence of torture and ill-treatment, especially within the criminal justice system.
Drawing from recent NHRC research and testimonies, he emphasized that criminalisation of drug use has exacerbated human rights violations, increased arbitrary arrests, and created conditions that allow torture to persist unchecked.
Ojukwu, who stated this on Thursday in his keynote address, called on Nigerian institutions, law enforcement, civil society, and international partners to “choose the path of courage” and implement bold, human rights-based reforms.
Precise Post recalls that the theme of this year’s event is: “Protecting Dignity, Advancing Justice: A Joint Dialogue on Drug Policy Reform and Torture Prevention in Nigeria”,
The gathering underscored the urgent need to reform Nigeria’s punitive drug policies and strengthen safeguards against torture, especially in detention settings.
“Millions of Nigerians are dehumanised not because they’ve committed violent crimes, but because they are poor, addicted, detained, or simply forgotten,” said Dr. Ojukwu. “We must protect dignity and advance justice—not tomorrow, but today,” Ojukwu stated.
The Commission’s recent policy review, “Punishment to Protection: Human Rights at the Heart of Nigeria’s Drug Policies”, outlines the evidence for urgent reform, including:
Nigeria’s drug use prevalence surpasses the global average, yet access to treatment is among the lowest in Africa.
Drug-related arrests are overwhelmingly for non-violent, low-level offences.
Torture is alarmingly common during drug-related detentions.
Legal protections against torture and arbitrary detention are routinely ignored.
Referencing the theme of World Drug Day 2025, “The evidence is clear: invest in prevention”, the NHRC Scribe stressed the importance of health-based, voluntary, and compassionate approaches to drug dependence, as opposed to criminal punishment. Prevention, he noted, must go beyond seizures and arrests—it must “invest in the human spirit.”
He also reaffirmed Nigeria’s obligations under the Convention Against Torture and the Optional Protocol (OPCAT), emphasizing the role of the NHRC’s National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) in monitoring detention centers and preventing torture through regular, independent visits.
While acknowledging progress, Dr. Ojukwu warned that true change requires more than rhetoric. He called on government officials, international partners, and civil society to act with urgency and empathy. “This is a turning point,” he said. “Let this day mark not only remembrance, but redirection. Not only commemoration, but commitment.”
