Federal Government Cracks Down On NCoS Over Abusive Detention Of Minors — Four Weeks To Comply!

The federal government has issued a strict four-week ultimatum to the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to address the rampant abuse, unlawful detention of minors, and other irregularities in juvenile custodial centres nationwide, according to iReporter Online.

Magdalene Ajani, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Interior and chair of the independent investigative panel on alleged corruption and violations within the NCoS, made the directive known during the panel’s third public hearing, according to iReporter Online.

Ajani expressed deep concern about the dangerous practice of mixing juveniles with adult inmates, poor welfare conditions, and systemic administrative failures within the correctional system.

She emphasized the urgency of sending a comprehensive status report on all borstal centres—whether completed or not—and demanded clarity on the legal basis for admitting minors without proper court processes, noting that some children have never been presented in court, according to iReporter Online.

“You have explained how children are admitted into borstal centres and that correctional service officers are present at those facilities,” Ajani said. “But when warrants are presented, we cannot trace where they originate.

Now we are hearing that some of these children were never even taken to court.

So, where exactly are these warrants coming from? Are security agencies issuing them? And if so, do they have the authority to commit children to foster centres without any court involvement?”

Ajani also condemned the neglect of inmates with mental health issues, highlighting that despite the presence of psychiatric institutions like the one in Abeokuta, many mentally ill inmates remain untreated and chained without proper assessment, which is both illegal and inhumane.

She further called on the NCoS to prioritize proper budgetary allocations for the welfare of children born to incarcerated women and insisted that all adults wrongfully held in juvenile facilities be relocated immediately.

Ajani demanded a full compliance report within four weeks, stressing that the timeframe is sufficient to resolve these critical issues.

”IREPORTER REPORTS”