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The Federal Government has condemned the unlawful detention of minors, incarceration of mentally ill persons without treatment, and the deplorable welfare conditions in Nigerian correctional facilities.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, on Monday directed the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to submit, within four weeks, a comprehensive status report on all juvenile custodial and borstal centres nationwide.
Ajani, who chairs the Independent Investigative Panel on Alleged Corruption and Other Violations Against the NCoS, issued the directive during the panel’s third public hearing in Abuja. She said the order followed disturbing findings from visits to 28 states.
“You don’t lump underage inmates with adults. Those who are not meant to be there should be moved out immediately. Report back within four weeks, with evidence of compliance,” she told NCoS officials.
The Permanent Secretary questioned the legality of admitting minors into custody without court orders and criticised the neglect of mentally ill inmates, particularly where psychiatric facilities were available nearby.
“It’s not enough to chain people, it’s not even allowed. They must be assessed and treated,” Ajani said, citing the example of Abeokuta, where mentally ill inmates had not been referred to the city’s renowned psychiatric hospital.
She also expressed concern over the Ilorin borstal facility, where adults aged 30 to 43 were reportedly being housed, and called for their immediate removal. Some custodial centres, she said, were in “horrible” condition and required urgent attention.
Panel secretary Uju Agomoh said the inquiry was examining allegations of corruption, torture, and systemic lapses in correctional facilities. The investigation aims to secure the immediate release of wrongfully detained persons and recommend long-term reforms.
Among the cases under review are claims that an officer at Kuje Correctional Centre threatened and defrauded an inmate, and a probe into whether cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, actually served his sentence.
Ajani emphasised that the panel’s mission was corrective, not punitive.
“We are doing this to get things done properly and give dignity to the inmates of any of our locations,” she said.
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