Daud Olatunji
No fewer than 26,000 children and young persons under 21 years old are thrown into correctional facilities in Nigeria every year, with a staggering 74% of them languishing in custody without trial, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed.
This shocking statistic was disclosed at the second public hearing of the Independent Investigative Panel on Alleged Corruption, Abuse of Power, Torture, and Degrading Treatment against the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), held on Friday in Abuja.
Stakeholders, including the National Judicial Council (NJC), UNICEF, and the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, made a strong case for rehabilitation over incarceration for non-violent juvenile offenders.
Speaking at the hearing, UNICEF representative Nkiru Maduechesi described the rising incarceration of young people as alarming and unjust, warning that keeping children in correctional facilities denies them education, healthcare, and opportunities for a better future.
“We all know that the unique thing about children is that their lives cannot wait. Every year, 26,000 children and young persons are placed in correctional facilities, with 74% of them awaiting trial.
“ If we don’t help them now, they would have missed out in life and the opportunities it presents,” she lamented.
Maduechesi stressed the need for urgent, multi-sectoral intervention, noting that the root cause of the issue often starts at the point of arrest.
“This problem is beyond one ministry or agency. How do we collaborate with the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Nigeria Police Force, and others? If a child is not wrongly apprehended, they won’t end up in a custodial center in the first place,” she explained.
She also raised concerns about age falsification in arrest records, which often leads to minors being treated as adults in correctional facilities.
“Sometimes, correctional officers are helpless because the police document states that a child is 18 years old, but in reality, the child is far younger,” she said.
Maduechesi further called for a review of Nigeria’s outdated child welfare laws, particularly the 1962 law on foster institutions, stating that an updated legal framework would drive better policies and practices.
Chairperson of the panel and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Interior, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, emphasized the need to prioritize education and skills training for young inmates.
She noted that the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has made progress in educating inmates through partnerships with institutions such as the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), and NGOs.
“We are doing well in education because WAEC, NECO, and Open University have been willing to collaborate with us. They even take up some of the bills for inmates, so they don’t have to spend money,” she said.
Ajani also urged the NCoS management to recruit more teachers to provide skill-based education for inmates, ensuring they gain practical knowledge that will help their reintegration into society.
The Founder of Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), Dr. Uju Agomoh, highlighted the plight of vulnerable groups in detention, particularly women, the mentally ill, and persons with disabilities.
She stressed the urgency of implementing Sections 33 and 34 of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, which mandate special protections for vulnerable detainees.
“The law provides for measures to protect these groups, but implementation remains a challenge. Relevant authorities must put in place the necessary processes to uphold the rights of these individuals,” Agomoh stated.
Responding to the concerns raised, the representative of the Acting Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Ibrahim Idris, assured stakeholders that the service is committed to addressing the issues and partnering with relevant organizations to implement the provisions of the NCoS Act 2019.
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