By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko, Ibadan
The Oyo State Chief Judge, Justice Munta Abimbola, on Friday inaugurated a committee to midwife the establishment of a standard juvenile Correctional institution in the state.
Inaugurating the committee at the state High Court Complex, Ibadan, Abimbola said the aim was to enhance public safety.
He added that it was to hold young offenders accountable for their rehabilitation, protect them from harm and improve their outlook for success as responsible and productive members of the society.
The Oyo State Chief Judge said that the National Human Rights Commission recognised that children could also be victims of abuse and exploitation in all forms.
He said that the Child Rights law also provided other specific rights for children including the right to survival, to a name, family life, among others.
Abimbola said that the state judiciary would work with the other arms of government to ensure the inclusion of these rights into the operation of any custodial centre.
He said that it was imperative for the judiciary to take a bold step to ensure that child offenders’ period of incarceration was in compliance with the legal regime.
Abimbola added that Oyo State would be among the first few states if any, to take the bold step to have a standard juvenile correctional institution.
“A good collaboration with the government for an efficient management system of the proposed juvenile institution would yield much, especially in the aspect of rehabilitation of the child offender, good protection for people and setting in place proactive system of prevention of crime in the society,” he said.
The CJ said that the judiciary in the state was committed to a better, standard, workable juvenile Justice administration in collaboration with the social welfare department of the ministry of women affairs to achieve its aims.
“To this end, a committee was set up by me, the committee held several meetings with appropriate authorities and was able to secure the release of a government property at Samanda area of Ibadan for the project,” he said.
To enhance the operation of the juvenile Justice system, Abimbola recommended that a children police unit with specialised skills for administering the provisions of the state’s Child Rights Laws (2006) be set up and nurtured.
“If already set up, we shall partner with the police in handling custody matters of juvenile.
“It’s trite that an unstable family background is usually an important factor in the anti-social behaviour of children.
“It’s necessary to emphasise the role of families in preventing delinquency and facilitating the rehabilitation of children leaving detention.
“A family based juvenile welfare should be preferred to a formal judicial interventionist measures,” he said.
Abimbola further emphasised that the inaugurated committee among other duties would ensure that a standard juvenile Correctional institution be put in place in the state.
Also speaking, Mr Adetayo Ayoade, the Director, Social Welfare, Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, said the Oyo State judiciary has always supported the ministry in all its endeavours.
He pledged that the ministry would continue to do its best to ensure that the project was established.
Also, the chairperson of the inaugurated committee, Justice A. Adeeyo said the present facility for children at the juvenile Correctional centres at the moment were not adequate and the Centres were over crowded.
“I believe that the new edifice will contain all the facilities that will make the children feel at home.
“The committee members are very vast with issues relating to children, so I pray, with the support of God, we will not disappoint,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the members of the committee included Mrs Adetola Lawore-Akinyele, Mrs Kehinde Durosaro-Tijani, Mr Abiodun Adebisi and Mr Yusuff Raimi.
Others are Mr Taiwo Ibilade, Mr Biola Badru and Mrs Tayo Adelayi. (NAN)
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