CRC/C/NGA/CO/3-4 scheme in rural areas. The Committee nevertheless remains concerned at the low number of birth registrations, especially in rural areas, and at the non-registration of children born outside hospital, due to lack of awareness of existing legislation, limited number of registration centres and limited financial resources, and a lack of effective registration infrastructure. The Committee also expresses concern that the Birth, Death (Compulsory Registration) Act No. 69 of 1992 provides for prescribed fees in case of registration after 60 days and within 12 months of birth. The Committee furthermore expresses concern that the practice of tribal markings or other tattoos on the child’s body as a method of identification still prevails in some parts of the country. 37. The Committee recommends that the State party continue and strengthen its efforts to ensure free and compulsory birth registration for all children. The Committee urges the State party: (a) To raise public awareness about the importance of birth registration and existing legislation; (b) To allocate adequate financial, human and other resources to ensure easy access to registration by population in rural areas, including by strengthening ongoing training programs for birth registration personnel and midwives; (c) To urge midwives to report administratively all births and provide midwives with training on how to undertake such reporting; (d) To amend the Birth, Death (Compulsory Registration) Act No. 69 of 1992 so as to ensure free birth registration regardless of the time of registration and, in the meanwhile, extend the three-year waiver (2005-2008) for payment fees permanently; (e) To ensure that monitoring bodies, in particular state committees for birth registration, operate effectively, including through adequate resources; (f) To conduct awareness-raising programs, notably through the media, in rural areas on the importance and benefits of birth registration. Torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 38. The Committee takes note of the draft laws on the definition and prohibition of torture in line with article 1 of the Convention against Torture and on the establishment of a torture investigation commission. The Committee notes with utmost concern, however, reports that torture and other forms of ill-treatment are widespread in police custody, and particularly at reports that children as young as 11 years of age have been held in custody in inhuman conditions in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). In the regard, the Committee expresses serious concern at the lack of data on the number and nature of complaints of torture and other forms of ill-treatment of children deprived of their liberty. 39. The Committee urges the State party: (a) To expedite the adoption of the bill to outlaw torture by the National Assembly and to consider the incorporation of the absolute prohibition of torture in the Constitution; (b) To take all necessary measures to ensure that no persons under the age of 18 are subject to torture or other forms of inhuman, degrading or cruel treatment or punishment as guaranteed by article 37 (a) of the Convention, including by ensuring independent monitoring of places of detention and by undertaking comprehensive training programmes for security and police personnel, especially for the special police units established to deal with children in conflict with the law; 9