The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria in Bayelsa announced on Friday that it has completed an audit of the Okaka Correctional Centre in Yenagoa.
By Nathan Nwakamma
The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria in Bayelsa announced on Friday that it has completed an audit of the Okaka Correctional Centre in Yenagoa.
The audit, part of a Presidential initiative on prison decongestion, resulted in the release of a 17-year-old inmate who had been detained alongside adults.
Mr Eddy Ine
nevwo, the Coordinator of the Legal Aid Council in Bayelsa, shared the update with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview, confirming that the audit was conducted on Wednesday.
Inenevwo explained that the audit was carried out in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission, focusing on children in custody.
He noted that President Bola Tinubu had tasked the two organisations with evaluating inmates, exploring options like fines for minor offenses, and addressing the issue of minors being held with adults.
According to Inenevwo, data on inmates with fines were compiled and sent to the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation for possible payment of judgment fines.
“The audit also revealed the absence of a remand centre in Bayelsa, which forces minors to be detained with adults.
“During the visit to the Okaka Correctional Centre, the team found the 17-year-old inmate, who had been arrested in late January and admitted to the facility on Feb. 12, 2025.”
Inenevwo explained that the minor had been charged with assault, causing harm to a woman, and his case had been adjourned to Feb. 26, 2025.
“The Legal Aid Council took up the matter and approached the court to address the issue of minors being held with adults,’ he said.
Inenevwo revealed that no prosecution witnesses had appeared in court since the minor’s case was filed.
He stated that the minor’s continued detention without trial was a violation of his constitutional rights.
“As a result, the Chief Magistrate Court 15 struck out the charge and discharged the defendant.”(NAN)
