The Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS, has attributed the detention of minors in adult custodial centres to systemic failures at the state level, particularly the collapse of juvenile remand homes across the country.
NCoS Head of the welfare department, Timothy Dabit, explained that children often end up in adult facilities when brought in with police warrants, especially in areas where no functional juvenile institutions are nearby. At present, only three such facilities — located in Kaduna, Ilorin, and Abeokuta — are operational, with Abeokuta being the only one currently used for remand purposes.
Dabit highlighted overcrowding as a major challenge, with the capacities of the three borstal institutions ranging from 250 to 288 inmates, stressing that establishing and maintaining remand homes is constitutionally the responsibility of state governments. He noted that in the past, almost all states had functional ones urging the investigative panel on alleged abuses in the service to push for the restoration of these centres to ensure minors are kept in safer environments.
On the issue of pregnant women in custody, the NCoS dismissed claims that such pregnancies occur within correctional facilities, explaining that some women arrive already pregnant and are tested upon admission. The service also noted that personnel in borstal institutions receive specialised training, work in distinctive uniforms, and collaborate with professionals, including psychologists, to meet the specific needs of minors.
Despite these assurances, representatives of the Nigerian Association of Clinical Psychologists and the Nigerian Psychological Association raised concerns about the continued detention of underage persons in adult prisons. They warned of the long-term psychological harm caused by such practices and called for nationwide reforms. Their recommendations included removing all children under 18 from adult facilities, creating specialised care centres, approving orphanages with psychological and medical support, recruiting more psychologists, adopting trauma-informed care, and expanding mental health services across the correctional system.
