Former Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Ishaq Bello, has advocated for the establishment of special juvenile courts to deal with juvenile issues.
He made this call during the inauguration of the technical committee on the review of borstal institutions and remand centers in Abuja by the Attorney General of the Federation.
Every day, millions of children in Africa and around the world suffer rights violations, are denied access to education, healthcare, and social benefits, are unnecessarily separated from their families, and are subjected to violence, exploitation, and abuse in their homes and communities.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of young people in Nigeria who break the law.
The involvement of juveniles in criminal and deviant activities such as theft, burglary, alcoholism, drug abuse, and violence is a growing feature of crime and criminal activities worldwide.
However, in order to achieve long-term reformation of the Nigerian juvenile justice system, the Nigerian borstal institution legal framework must be reviewed and brought into compliance with the Child Rights Act of 2003, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act of 2015, and the Correctional Service Act of 2019.
As a result, the federal ministry of Justice has established a technical committee to review the borstal institution and remand centers act of 2004.https://www.tvcnews.tv/2022/07/reverend-father-christopher-odia-catholic-priests-task-govt-on-improved-security/
The technical committee’s mandate is to promote a regime that promotes effective student rehabilitation and reintegration.
An institution that will instill progressive trust in juveniles by requiring personal decisions, responsibility, and self-control.
There are currently only three borstal institutions in Nigeria, the Nigerian correctional services act 2019 has provided for the establishment of borstals in each state of the country.
The act has also prohibited custodial centers from admitting children under age of 18.
