The Federal Government has expressed commitment to implementing reforms that will overhaul the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS). The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, stated this during the presentation of the report on the “National Assessment of the Situation of Children and Young Adults Deprived of Liberty”. Tunji-Ojo said the Nigeria Correctional Service Act of 2019 mandates a focus on reforming, rehabilitating, and reintegrating juvenile offenders into society. “I’m passionate about giving inmates, especially children and young adults, a second chance because I believe that a minor’s mistake should not define their future”.
The Ministry’s Spokesperson, Ozoya Imohimi, noted that the Minister expressed concern over the number of correctional centers in relation to the inmate population across the country.
“With a population of around 200 million people, 256 correctional centres with 84,000 inmates, and how many armed correctional officers do we have to secure them all?”
The minister also addressed the case of Idris Okuneye, Bobrisky, a popular cross dresser, stating that “things would no longer continue as they had.”
“We are firm in our resolve. By next week, the committee’s report will be ready. My focus is not on Bobrisky, but on the officers. If any officer is found culpable, they will face the consequences”.
“The correctional service cannot continue to tarnish the image of the Nigerian government. We will not allow the actions of a few to damage the institution’s reputation”.