Over 26,000 Children In Prisons, Says Minister

Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the country’s interior minister, has expressed alarm over the incarceration of more than 26,000 children in the country’s custodial facilities.

According to him, the figure accounts for 30 percent of the total inmate population in correctional facilities across the country.

Tunji-Ojo, who called for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s criminal justice system to protect vulnerable groups, spoke at a high-level inter-agency stakeholder meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.

A statement by the Director of Press at the Ministry of Interior, Ozoya Imohimi, quoted the minister as saying, “Approximately 26,000 children are held in correctional facilities annually, representing over 30 percent of the total inmate population.

“This statistic raises serious concerns regarding child protection laws. The presence of children in custodial centers violates existing laws mandating their placement in borstal institutions for proper reformation in line with their age.”

He assured that breaches of these laws would be investigated, warning that institutions failing to comply would face consequences.

He also reiterated the federal government’s commitment to reforming the correctional system, particularly focusing on the growing number of children in custody.

The minister disclosed plans to establish a Nigerian Paramilitary Academy to train correctional officers on empathy and rehabilitation principles.

Emphasizing the need for non-custodial measures for non-violent offenders, he stressed the importance of inter-ministerial collaboration and urged state governments to actively participate in efforts to address juvenile detention.