As the 2026 Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) gathers momentum in Umuahia, attention is set to turn to a critical human rights conversation as distinguished legal practitioners, human rights advocates and international experts converge for a session on the prevention of torture and rehabilitation of survivors.
The session, designated Session 6, is scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, 2026, from 9:00 am to 10:30 am at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Umuahia. It will focus on the theme, “In Public Interest: Prevention of Torture and Rehabilitation of Torture Survivors.”
The session will be chaired by Chief Oghenero Okoro, Esq., First Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), with a distinguished panel of facilitators bringing professional and international perspectives to the discussion.
The facilitators include Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Nigeria; Ngozi Ogoke, Member, Survivors Advisory Board, PRAWA, and Member, ICRT Survivors Advisory Board, representing Sub-Saharan Africa; and His Grace, The Most Reverend Dr. Chibuzo Raphael Opoko, Archbishop of the Umuahia Archdiocese, Methodist Church Nigeria.
The programme will also feature reflections from Lisa Henry, Secretary General, International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT); Odipo Williams Omondi, Lead Psychological Rehabilitation at the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), Kenya; and Ngueleu Dieuga Isidore Collins, Head of Africa Regional Desk, OMCT, Geneva.
The gathering is expected to provide an important platform for examining the realities of torture, strengthening accountability mechanisms and exploring effective approaches to the physical, psychological and social rehabilitation of survivors.
With the participation of experts and advocates working across legal, humanitarian, religious and international human rights institutions, the session promises insightful contributions on the responsibility of governments, institutions and stakeholders in protecting human dignity and preventing torture.
The discussion aligns with the broader theme of the 2026 NBA-SPIDEL Annual Conference, “In Public Interest: Advancing Justice, Democracy and Development,” reinforcing the importance of public interest law in safeguarding fundamental rights and promoting a just society.
Conferees are expected to look forward to an engaging and thought-provoking session that places human dignity, accountability and the protection of vulnerable persons at the centre of public interest advocacy.
Registration is available at www.app.nbaspidel.ng