Kelvin Meluwa
DELTA – Child Rights Activist, Comrade Ighorhiowhunu Aghogho, has raised alarm that remand home in Sapele, Delta State, is “over congested with children”.
He said children between the ages of 14 and 17 years are being sent to prison in the State.
“Remand home in Sapele, Delta State is congested with children and other young persons. Children under the ages of 14-17years are being sent to prison in the State. Who sent the children to the remand home?”
This claim could not be independently verified by The Dune at the time of filing this report.
Aghogho spoke against child imprisonment.
He said it was gross violation of child’s right to subject any child to emotional and physical torture in the guise of trying him or her for a crime.
“Never should a child be sentenced to prison. It is against the constitution.”
Aghogho who spoke at a seminar he organised for health workers/ professionals in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, advocated the creation of leisure centres in the State for children.
He alleged that juveniles were exposing themselves to different crimes including prostitution, drugs, pocket and purse picking at Enerhen junction, an unregulated spot they converge for leisure, according to him.
“There are no leisure parks and libraries to engage and dissuade the minds of children from violent crime in Delta State. People now take their children to Shoprite to snap pictures. Is Shoprite a leisure centre?”, he added.
Aghogho called on Delta state government, rights activists and the media to worry about the trend of child rights abuses and violent crimes perpetrated in the state by juveniles.