Nigerian police routinely torture and ill treat suspects, the UN special rapporteur on torture has said.
Manfred Nowak said police shot prisoners, beat them and hung them from the ceiling for long periods. He made his statement after spending a week visiting the country's prisons and other detention facilities.
The police force has denied there is widespread torture in detention cells, saying even if it exists in "isolated cases", it was not official policy.
More than half of Nigeria's prison population has never been convicted of any crime
He said the most common methods included "flogging with whips, beating with batons and machetes, shooting suspects in the foot, threatening suspects with death and shooting them with power cartridges".
"Suspension (of suspects) from the ceiling or metal rods in various positions and being denied food, water and medical treatment" were also used.
"Torture is an intrinsic part of how law enforcement services operate within the country," he said.
"Torture is an intrinsic part of how law enforcement services operate within the country," he said.
I totally agree with this UN rapportuer.
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