Over 26,000 children are in prisons–Minister
Over 26,000 children are in prisons–Minister
Over 26,000 children are in prisons
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has raised the alarm over the incarceration of over 26,000 children in the nation’s custodial centres.
The minister said that the figure accounted for 30 per cent of the total inmate population in correctional facilities across the nation.
He called for urgent reforms in the country’s criminal justice system to protect vulnerable groups.
The minister spoke at a high-level inter-agency stakeholder meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.
“A statement by the Director of Press at the Ministry of Interior, Ozoya Imohimi, said that authorities hold approximately 26,000 children in correctional facilities annually, representing over 30 percent of the total inmate population.
“This statistic raises serious concerns regarding child protection laws. The presence of children in custodial centres violates existing laws mandating their placement in borstal institutions for proper reformation in line with their age.”
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The minister assured that breaches of the laws would be investigated.
He also warned that institutions failing to comply would face consequences.
He also restated the Federal Government’s commitment to reforming the correctional system, by focusing on the increasing number of children in custody.
The minister, however, disclosed plans to establish a Nigerian Paramilitary Academy to train correctional officers on empathy and rehabilitation principles.
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Over 26,000 children are in prisons–Minister
