Concerns Raised By LACoN About Juveniles Incarcerated In Adult Prisons In Keffi

Concerns Raised By LACoN About Juveniles Incarcerated In Adult Prisons In Keffi

The Legal Aid Council (LACoN), under the leadership of Mr. Aliyu Abubakar, conducted a visit to Keffi prisons in Abuja, expressing concern over the incarceration of juveniles alongside adult prisoners of questionable character.

During the visit, LACoN’s team, led by Deputy-Director Okwuegbu Egenti from the FCT Office, interviewed 16 inmates with pending cases in courts across Abuja and its environs. The inmates faced charges ranging from conspiracy and theft to affray and rape.

Addressing the issue of juveniles housed with adults, Egenti informed the prison’s Welfare Officer that LACoN would raise the matter with the Comptroller of the FCT Command for further action at appropriate levels. He emphasized that mixing juveniles with adults was detrimental, as it exposed them to potential intimidation and corruption by hardened criminals.

Egenti expressed hope that the government’s “renewed hope agenda” would address the absence of juvenile facilities in Keffi and Abuja, stressing the importance of separate accommodations to safeguard young offenders.

Despite overcrowding observed during the visit—where the prison, designed for a maximum of 300-350 inmates, housed 779—the management was acknowledged for maintaining a clean environment, ensuring inmates’ neat appearance, and sustaining a satisfactory feeding schedule amid economic challenges.

The visit highlighted concerns over the prison’s capacity strain, potentially contributing to past records of inmate fatalities over the last three years.