From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
As Abuja based Non-Governmental Organization, Legend Golden Care Foundation (LGCF), has intensified its effort against torture and other right violations in the country.
Consequently, the NGO as part of its anti-torture campaign held an awareness engagement which held in Kabusa District, Abuja, to promote
collaborative efforts against torture while strengthening support for holistic rehabilitation of victims.
The Executive Director of the Foundation, Mrs. Kanayo Olisa-Metuh, while speaking at the event, said the engagement , which had the support of the Int’| Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT), United Against Torture (UAT) and funding from the European Union (EU), is geared towards strengthening concerted collaborative action against torture as well as provide care and support for victims.
Olisa-Metuh said “It is pertinent to know that torture is not just a physical act, it can be psychological or mental and so the same way someone who has endured physical torture requires the services of a doctor, people who have endured psychological or mental torture require a different type of doctor. This is why LGCF opened its rehabilitation centre to offer support to victims of torture.”
She explained that most of the times, torture involve state actors. Nevertheless, the Executive Director stressed that the aim of the engagement is not to attack or indict anyone, particularly the law enforcement agencies but to seek an end to torture and provide rehabilitation for victims.,
Speaking at the event, Assistant Controller of Corrections, Chineku Velu, commended the Foundation for its initiative adding that the Correctional Service supports any initiative against torture or any other violations, especially in the areas of rehabilitation and awareness creation.
“Once people are able to have the awareness, they need in whatever challenges they have gone through that may have made them victims of torture, then they have ways to finding solutions to their problems. They can be able to come out and reach out for help”, he said.
Velu also applauded the NGO for its numerous efforts especially towards assisting the Correctional Service in providing educational materials, skill acquisition and other life enhancing initiatives to prepare inmates towards reintegration into the community as useful citizens.