UNICEF: Nigeria Imprisons 26,000 Children, Young People Each Year
At the second public hearing of the Independent Investigative Panel on alleged corruption and abuse by the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), key stakeholders, including UNICEF, the National Judicial Council (NJC), and the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, issued a strong call for rehabilitation, not incarceration, especially for non-violent juveniles.
UNICEF’s Nkiru Maduechesi revealed alarming data: 26,000 children and young persons enter correctional facilities in Nigeria annually, with 74% on Awaiting Trial. She stressed the urgent need for swift, multi-agency rehabilitation strategies, emphasizing that “children’s lives can’t wait.”
She also called for collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Nigeria Police, and reform of outdated foster care laws last reviewed in 1962.
Dr. Magdalene Ajani, Chairperson of the panel and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Interior, highlighted positive strides in inmate education through partnerships with WAEC, NECO, NOUN, and various NGOs. She encouraged further recruitment of teachers to provide skill acquisition opportunities in correctional centers.
Dr. Uju Agomoh, Secretary of the panel and PRAWA Founder, stressed the need to enforce Sections 13, 14, 33, and 34 of the NCoS Act, focusing on vulnerable groups, including women, the mentally ill, and persons with disabilities in custody.
Ibrahim Idris, speaking for the Acting Controller General of NCoS, affirmed the service’s commitment to reform and readiness to partner with stakeholders for the full implementation of the NCoS Act 2019.
