The Federal Government has expressed outrage over the illegal detention of minors, the incarceration of mentally ill persons without treatment, and the poor welfare conditions in Nigerian correctional facilities.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, on Monday gave the Nigerian Correctional Service four weeks to submit a comprehensive status report on all juvenile custodial and borstal centres nationwide.
Ajani, who chairs the Independent Investigative Panel on Alleged Corruption and Other Violations Against the NCoS, issued the ultimatum during the panel’s third public hearing in Abuja, citing findings from visits to 28 states.
“You don’t lump underage inmates with adults. Those who are not meant to be there should be moved out immediately. Report back within four weeks, with evidence of compliance,” she told NCoS officials.
She questioned the legality of admitting minors into custody without court orders and condemned reports of mentally ill inmates being left untreated despite nearby psychiatric hospitals.
“It’s not enough to chain people — it’s not even allowed. They must be assessed and treated,” she said, noting that in Abeokuta, mentally ill inmates had not been referred to the town’s renowned psychiatric facility.
Ajani also raised alarm over the Ilorin borstal facility, reportedly housing adults aged 30–43, and insisted on their immediate removal. She described conditions in some custodial centres as “horrible” and demanded urgent intervention.
The panel’s secretary, Uju Agomoh, said the inquiry was investigating corruption, torture, and systemic lapses in correctional facilities, with the goal of recommending both immediate releases for wrongfully held individuals and long-term reforms.
She also cited specific allegations under review, including claims that an inmate at Kuje Correctional Centre was threatened and defrauded by an officer, and a case probing whether cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky, served his sentence.
Ajani stressed the panel’s mission was not to indict individuals but to reform the system: “We are doing this to get things done properly and give dignity to the inmates of any of our locations.”
