Tunji-Ojo Raises Concerns Over Incarceration of 26,000 Children in Correctional Centers

• Tunji-Ojo pledged to investigate any breaches and hold non-compliant institutions accountable
• According to Tunji-Ojo , the statistics represent an alarming 30% of the total inmate population in correctional facilities.
• Between 2018 and 2022, an average of 26,000 children and young adults were held in custodial centres annually

Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has expressed deep concern over the incarceration of more than 26,000 children in custodial centers across the country over the past five years.

These figures, according to Tunji-Ojo, represent an alarming 30% of the total inmate population in correctional facilities, Eko Hot Blog reports.

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During a high-level inter-agency stakeholder meeting held in Abuja to address the issue of children deprived of liberty in correctional facilities, the minister emphasized the urgent need for reforms in Nigeria’s criminal justice system to protect vulnerable groups from unnecessary hardships.

“The Minister of Interior expressed concern over the presence of children in correctional centres, highlighting it as a violation of laws requiring their placement in borstal institutions.

“Tunji-Ojo further explained that the 2024 report on children and young adults deprived of liberty presents a sobering reality, an alarming 26,000 children have been held annually in correctional facilities over the past five years.

“He said this figure represents over 30% of the total inmate population, raising serious concerns about violations of child protection laws.

“He acknowledged the lack of adequate facilities and called for urgent action and penalties to address these legal and institutional gaps.

“The presence of children in custodial centres violates laws mandating their placement in borstal institutions so that they can undergo reformation in line with their age,” the statement quoted Tunji-Ojo as saying.

The Minister pledged to investigate any breaches and hold non-compliant institutions accountable.

He said the Federal Government is committed to reforming the correctional system, with a particular focus on addressing the increasing number of children in these facilities.

As part of these efforts, the government plans to establish a Nigerian Paramilitary Academy to train correctional officers in empathy and rehabilitation principles.

The minister emphasized the importance of non-custodial measures for non-violent offenders and called for inter-ministerial collaboration, as well as the active participation of state governments in tackling juvenile detention.

During the meeting, Magdalene Ajani, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, described the 2024 report on children and young adults deprived of liberty as a “sobering reality.”

She said, “Between 2018 and 2022, an average of 26,000 children and young adults were held in custodial centres annually. These statistics are not just numbers, they represent vulnerable lives in urgent need of intervention.

“She noted the need to promote non-custodial measures and diversion programmes as viable alternatives to detention, sharing best practices and strengthening legal frameworks to ensure detention is a measure of last resort, in line with Article 37(b) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and Nigeria’s Child Rights Act of 2003.

“Ajani emphasised that the meeting underscored that ending child detention is not just a moral obligation but a strategic investment in sustainable development, justice, and poverty reduction.”

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Present at the high-level meeting were representatives of the Ministers of Justice; Women Affairs and Humanitarian Affairs; UNICEF and other development partners to address the urgent issue of children deprived of liberty in correctional facilities.

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