Malami Tasks Stakeholders On Legal, Psychological Support For Released Juveniles

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has called on stakeholders to provide legal and psychological support for juveniles who would be released soon to ensure their proper re-integration to society.

Malami gave the charge at the weekend during a virtual meeting with justice sector stakeholders from Ogun State on the implementation of amnesty and decongestion programme for juveniles.

The meeting was organised by the Federal Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the Presidential Committee on Correctional Reform and Decongestion, and the Buni Yadi Foundation.

Speaking at the occasion, the AGF disclosed that the ministry, in order to target the necessary needs and requirements of the juveniles to be released, few weeks ago dispatched a team of four experts to the Federal Borstal Institute at Adigbe, Abeokuta, Ogun State, to conduct a profile/need and risk assessment of the juveniles.

“Therefore, today’s meeting is aimed at organising a coordinated judicial action with the Ogun State Attorney-General and commissioner for Justice, Chief Judge of the state, the state commissioner for Social Welfare Department, the state Controller-General of Correction Centre, the principal of the Borstal Institute, Ogun State, UNODC, UNICEF, Legal Aid Council, FIDA and CSOs in the state to provide legal and psychological support to released juveniles for proper re-integration into the society.

“While I appreciate the commitment of all stakeholders towards the implementation of the Juvenile Decongestion Programme, we shall continue to welcome the support of development partners and donor agencies in the ongoing programme,” Malami said.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Correctional Service Reform and Decongestion, Justice Ishaq Bello (rtd), has called for the establishment of more Borstal Homes in the country to tackle the issue of overcrowding in juvenile centres.

Bello, who is the immediate-past Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, lamented that there are only three of such homes in the country, saying the situation is responsible for the incarceration of juvenile in adult correctional centres, which he noted is not good for the country.

According to Justice Bello, ”In an effort to achieve our objective, the committee, after visiting more that 32 correctional centres in 18 states, observed that there were only three Borstal institutes in Nigeria-Ogun, Kwara and Kaduna States.

”We found out that these institutes were grossly inadequate, and over-crowded, which have resulted in the ugly practice of sending juveniles to adult correctional centres. This has left a bad taste in the society as such juveniles are exposed to hardened criminals which in turn negatively influence their chances of re-offending if released.”