Nigeria, Oct. 7 -- The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for tougher measures to prevent what it described as "avoidable deaths" in detention facilities across the country.

The association also warned that no operative of any government agency should subject Nigerians to torture or other forms of abuse, stressing the need for detention centres to operate in line with Nigerian laws and internationally recognised human rights standards. Chairperson of the NBA Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL), Dr. Uju Agomoh, made the call in Abuja on Wednesday during a press briefing ahead of the section's annual conference.

The conference, themed "In Public Interest: Advancing Justice, Democracy and Development," is sc...