NCoS Blames States Over Detention of Minors in Adult Prisons, Urges Revival of Remand Homes
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has attributed the continued detention of minors in adult prisons to the collapse of juvenile remand homes in most states, warning that the situation poses serious risks to the welfare and rehabilitation of young offenders.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday at the third public hearing of the Independent Investigative Panel on Alleged Corruption, Abuse of Power, Torture, and Other Inhumane Treatment by the NCoS, Head of Welfare at the Service, Timothy Dabit, said systemic failures at the state level remain the root cause of the problem.
The investigative panel was convened by the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Magdalene Ajani. Members include the Executive Director of Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) as secretary, as well as civil society representatives such as Consultant Iyke of Brekete Family.
Dabit explained that minors often arrive at adult custodial centres with police warrants, leaving the NCoS with no legal option but to admit them. The problem, he said, is compounded by the near-total collapse of functional juvenile facilities across the country.
“Only three juvenile institutions — in Kaduna, Ilorin, and Abeokuta — are currently operational, and of these, only Abeokuta handles remand cases,” he revealed.
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According to him, Kaduna’s borstal is overcrowded, with a capacity for 288 inmates but housing far more, while Ilorin’s 250-capacity facility is underutilised. Many states, he noted, once had functional remand homes, but most have been abandoned.
Dabit appealed to the panel to help press state governors to restore and fund their remand facilities so minors can be placed in safer, age-appropriate environments.
On another matter, he dismissed speculation that women become pregnant while in custody, insisting pregnancy tests are conducted upon admission and that many female inmates arrive already pregnant.
He also noted that personnel working in borstals receive specialised training, wear distinctive uniforms, and collaborate with psychologists to meet the unique needs of minors.
However, representatives of the Nigerian Association of Clinical Psychologists and the Nigerian Psychological Association voiced deep concern over the detention of underage persons in adult facilities.
Speaking for both groups, Dr Abigail Onu commended the panel’s work but condemned the practice, citing the long-term harm caused by Adverse Childhood Experiences.
“Children under 18 must be removed from adult prisons,” Onu stressed. “We need more specialised care centres, trauma-informed practices, and expanded mental health services within the correctional system.”
The panel’s findings and recommendations are expected to feed into broader reforms aimed at protecting vulnerable groups and improving Nigeria’s correctional infrastructure.
By PRNigeria
