APPRAISAL OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMPULSORY TREATMENT AND CARE FOR VICTIMS OF GUNSHOT ACT 2017 IN NIGERIA

Abstract

There has been a disturbing spike in gunshot wounds world-wide. America, for instance, has an estimated 90 million firearms in civilian hands. A total of 48,830 people died from gun-related injuries in the U.S. in 2021, an increase of 32% since 2019.The prevalence of gunshot injuries has attracted concerns from governments, victims and family members, hospital administrators, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), medical practitioners, the mass media and the academia. Such concerns are germane because gunshot injuries (GSI) constitute a major health challenge worldwide, with direct burdens on health service and the economy. One worrisome dimension however, is that many people have died from gunshot injuries on account of hospitals’ insistence on mandatory police report. In order to halt this, the Nigerian government enacted the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot (CTCVG) Act of 2017. This study appraised the implementation of the CTCVG Act. The paper utilized the documentary method to gather data and adopted the rational choice theory to provide theoretical direction for the work. A major revelation is that the CTCVG Act lacks legal validity because it is not listed in the 68 items covered under the exclusive and concurrent lists of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution. It was revealed that more than five years after its enactment, only three States, Rivers, Lagos and Delta, have domesticated the CTCVG Act. Also revealed is that in spite of the Act, many hospitals still shun gunshot victims without police report. Another finding blamed the reluctance of medical personnel on persistent police harassments. The paper recommends a meeting of the Attorneys-General of the 36 States and the Attorney General of the Federation, to propose a bill to include the Act in either the Legislative or Concurrent lists to fast track its domestication; proper sensitization and training of police and medical professionals on the provisions of the Act to forestall abuse; prosecution of breaches of the Act to guarantee compliance by hospitals and security agents while Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), human rights activists and other stakeholders, should enlighten individuals on the provisions of the law and how to enforce their rights.