The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has raised concerns over the incarceration of over 26,000 children in the nation’s custodial centres, describing the situation as alarming.

According to him, the figure accounts for 30 per cent 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 per cent of the total inmate population.

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


https://punchng.com/over-26000-children-in-prisons-minister/