Towards the Effective Compliance of the Nigerian Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017

Abstract

In 2017, the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017 was signed by the Nigerian President. The Act hits the bulls-eye of gunshot victims’ right to human dignity as it brilliantly spells out the obligations of security agents and hospitals on the treatment and care of gunshot victims. However, despite the penalties which combine both imprisonment terms and fines for persons who fail in their duty to assist, treat, and care for gunshot victims, evidence reveal that there have been continued reckless breaches of the Act. Consequently, this article considers some of the challenges facing the implementation of the law. Considering the question of the validity of the Act, amongst others, it was claimed that the negative attitude of the Nigerian security agencies fueled by their misinterpretation of the law, and then coupled with medical practitioners’ fear of security agencies; and the uncertainty of receiving payments for treatments given by hospital management, are but the pillared reasons for the continued breaches of the Act. This article concluded that addressing these challenges are a panacea for ensuring the effectiveness of the Act.

Keywords: Gunshot Victims; Right to human dignity; Compulsory treatment; and care of gunshot victims