The Federal Government has launched an urgent review of all Borstal Homes managed by the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to check their condition and ensure they’re fit for purpose.
This move comes amid growing concerns about minors being held in adult prisons, a problem the NCoS says stems from state governments not stepping up to build and maintain Juvenile Remand Homes, which is their legal duty.
While the NCoS runs Borstal institutions specifically for young offenders, states are supposed to provide reformatory or juvenile homes, but many have fallen short.
During a recent public hearing—the third in a series—Dr. Magdalene Ajani, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior and chair of an independent investigative panel, didn’t hold back.
She ordered the immediate relocation of inmates from Abeokuta Prison within four weeks due to its deplorable sanitary conditions.
She also gave the NCoS two weeks to submit a detailed report on the state of all Borstal Homes and to clarify what’s going on with the Ilorin borstal centre.
“This isn’t just a box-ticking exercise,” Dr. Ajani said. “It’s about showing Nigerians that the government is serious about transparency, accountability, and justice.
A credible correctional system is the backbone of law and order, public safety, and trust in how we’re governed.”
Timothy Dabit, head of the NCoS Welfare Department, explained why minors often end up in adult facilities.
He said police sometimes bring young offenders with valid warrants, leaving the NCoS no choice but to admit them.
Right now, only three Borstal Homes—in Kaduna, Ilorin, and Abeokuta—are operational, while most state-run remand homes have shut down.
Dr. Uju Agomoh, the panel’s Secretary, laid out what the investigation is digging into: allegations of corruption, abuse of power, torture, and other rights violations in the NCoS.
This includes claims of intimidation and fraud against inmates, like those reported at the Kuje post-torture centre, as well as the treatment of high-profile figures such as cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, known as Bobrisky.
The panel’s broader mission is to identify roadblocks to implementing the Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019, ensure the system meets international human rights standards, promote alternatives to imprisonment, and improve efforts to rehabilitate and reintegrate offenders.
