Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has expressed deep concern over the incarceration of over 26,000 children in correctional facilities across the country, describing the situation as a violation of child protection laws.
Speaking at an inter-agency stakeholder meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, Tunji-Ojo revealed that children account for 30 percent of the total inmate population in the country’s custodial centres. He called for urgent reforms to ensure their proper rehabilitation in line with legal provisions that mandate their placement in borstal institutions instead.
“This statistic raises serious concerns regarding child protection laws. The presence of children in custodial centres violates existing laws that mandate their placement in borstal institutions for proper reformation in line with their age,” the minister stated in a release by the Director of Press at the Ministry of Interior, Ozoya Imohimi.
Tunji-Ojo assured that the government would investigate breaches of these laws, warning institutions that fail to comply with the regulations of possible consequences. He also reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to reforming the correctional system, with a special focus on addressing the growing number of children in custody.
As part of the reforms, the minister disclosed plans to establish a Nigerian Paramilitary Academy to train correctional officers on rehabilitation principles and empathy.
He further stressed the need for non-custodial measures for non-violent offenders and urged state governments to collaborate in efforts to tackle juvenile detention.
