The Federal Government has given the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) a four-week deadline to address cases of abuse, illegal detention of minors, and other lapses in juvenile custodial centers across the country.
The directive was issued by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. . Magdalene Ajani, during the third public hearing of the Independent Investigative Panel on Alleged Corruption and Other Violations Against the NCoS on Monday in Abuja.
The panel expressed concern over the mixing of juveniles with adult inmates, poor welfare conditions, and systemic administrative failures in the correctional system.
Ajani questioned the legal basis for admitting minors without due process, noting that some had never been taken to court, and ordered the immediate removal of all adults from facilities designated for juveniles.
The panel highlighted reports of mentally ill inmates being held in correctional facilities without treatment, despite the presence of psychiatric institutions nearby.
Ajani emphasised that chaining people without proper assessment and treatment is unacceptable.
The panel urged the NCoS to make proper budgetary provisions for the welfare of children born to incarcerated women.
The panel highlighted specific cases of alleged misconduct, including a report of an inmate being intimidated, threatened, and defrauded by an officer in charge.
The panel also mentioned a case involving the verification of whether Idris Okuneye aka Bobrisky had actually served his sentence at the custodial center .
The panel’s goal is to reform the system and protect inmate dignity, with a focus on initiating genuine reform rather than indicting individuals.
The panel’s mandate included investigating corruption, torture, cruel and degrading treatment of inmates, and systemic lapses within correctional institutions among others.
