NCoS Denies Minors Held In Adult Correctional Facilities Following ‘#EndBadGovernance’ Protests

ABUJA, NIGERIA – The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has issued a statement vehemently denying recent reports claiming that minors arrested during the August 2024 “#EndBadGovernance” protests were detained in adult correctional facilities in Abuja.

In a statement released Saturday by the NCoS Public Relations Officer, Umar Abubakar, the service asserts that none of the juvenile suspects were admitted to any adult correctional centers, contrary to claims circulating in some media outlets.

Abubakar emphasized the NCoS’s commitment to adhering to best correctional and global practices, citing the Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019, which empowers Controllers and Superintendents to refuse admission of juveniles into adult facilities.

The Act further mandates the service to reject new inmates when a custodial facility is at capacity.

“The Service wishes to inform the public that the said suspects were rejected, and none of the suspects was remanded in adult custodial facilities as insinuated by the said report,” Abubakar stated.

The NCoS assured the public of its continued adherence to professionalism and respect for human rights, aligning with the United Nations Minimum Standard Rules for the Treatment of Juvenile offenders.

“Furthermore, the general public is enjoined to discountenance the said report as it is not the true position of things,” the statement concluded.

The denial comes in response to reports that alleged the detention of minors in adult facilities following the arrests during the “EndBadGovernance” protests.

The NCoS has unequivocally stated that these allegations are false and that the service upholds the highest standards for the treatment of juvenile offenders