The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has reaffirmed his commitment to ensure that those found culpable in the Bobrisky’ case are severely sanctioned.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Ozoya Imohimi and made available to Channel Network Afrique, CNA.
The Minister who disclosed this in Abuja at the official launch of the report on the National Assessment of the situation of Children and Young Adults Deprived of Liberty said the highly celebrated case in the media space will not be treated with levity but utmost seriousness to serve as deterrent to others.
“It is not going to be business as usual, we are resolute by next week the committee will be ready with the report. My concern is not about Bobrisky, but about my officers. If any officer is found wanting, he must face the penalty,” he said.
He reiterated that beyond a name change from prisons to corrections, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to taking all necessary measures to reform the Correctional Service into a hub for rehabilitation, reformation, and redemption.
“The correctional service cannot continue to be a point of disgrace to the Nigerian Government.We will not allow the actions of a few to destroy the integrity of the generality of the institution,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He said the committee will be expanded to address such issues when they arise in future. ” We will expand the committee because when the crisis calls it is an opportunity for reform”.
While appreciating the efforts of all contributors to the report, Dr. Tunji-Ojo assured the public that the government will carefully pay attention to all issues raised, and ensure that sustainable solutions be sought.
The Minister further assured Nigerians of the Federal Government’s commitment to holistic reforms in the Correctional Service.
He stated that the Nigeria Correctional Service Act of 2019 mandates that issues on juvenile deliquesce be addressed through reforms, rehabilitation, reintegration of offenders into the society.
“I’m passionate about giving inmates, especially children and young adults, a second chance, as I strongly believe that a minor action of a minor should not be a major setback for his future,” he said.
He decried the high number of correctional centres across the country as against the ratio of inmates to the population.
“There are certain questions we need to ask ourselves; like do we need 256 Correctional centres in Nigeria? When you do the ratio of inmates to the population, Nigeria is one of the least.
“We have 84,000 inmates in a country of about 200 million people, so why should we have 256 correctional centres?How many armed correctional guards do we have to secure the 256 centres? We need to ask ourselves these questions”.
He however, assured UNICEF of his ministry’s support in addressing issues relating to juvenile justice.
