South-South Residents Seek Remand Homes in C’River, A’Ibom, Decry Poor

Residents of the South-South have called for the establishment of remand homes in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States and urged the rehabilitation of the existing facility in Rivers State, which they described as deplorable.

The call followed a Voice of the people (VOP) survey on juvenile remand facilities in the region. Respondents also condemned the detention of child offenders alongside adults in correctional centres, insisting on the need for separate facilities for minors.

In Cross River, Mr. Kebe Ikpi, Coordinator of the Child Protection Network (CPN), lamented that a remand home built by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Calabar had been taken over by the police, despite being handed to the Ministry of Social Welfare. He said the situation forced child offenders into adult facilities, defeating the purpose of rehabilitation.

Dr. Blessing Ntamu, a psychologist and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) expert at the University of Calabar, stressed that remand homes were crucial for behavioural reform. She warned that exposing children to adult criminals during their formative years undermined rehabilitation efforts.

CSP Philomena Modor of the state Police Command added that, in the absence of remand homes, child offenders were usually kept in orphanages while awaiting family court proceedings.

In Rivers, residents urged the urgent upgrade of the Port Harcourt Remand Home, citing overcrowding, poor infrastructure, and inadequate staffing. A public servant, Mrs. Adija Allwel, said the facility had struggled to fulfill its mandate of rehabilitation, counselling, and reintegration of juvenile offenders.

Lawyer Ikpanta Samuel acknowledged government efforts but called for expanded facilities and improved skills training for inmates, while activist Mrs. Boma George stressed the need for stronger collaboration between the home and the Nigeria Correctional Service to align with juvenile justice reforms.

In Akwa Ibom, Mr. Richard Metong, Assistant Superintendent of Corrections, explained that while the state lacked remand homes, it operated borstal institutions for minor offenders under the Correctional Service. He said the institutions provided skills training, education, and agricultural activities to aid reintegration, though some children awaiting trial were still kept in orphanages.

Stakeholders agreed that functional remand homes are essential to provide safe, supervised environments for juveniles, focusing on rehabilitation, reformation, and reintegration rather than punishment.