The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) has denied claims that it remanded minors arrested during the #EndBadGovernance protest in an adult custodial centre.
Between August 1 and 10, a protest against high cost of living tagged #EndBadGovernance was held nationwide.
The protest turned violent in some parts of the country, while some protesters raised the Russian flag calling for international intervention.
Some of the protesters, mostly minors, were arraigned before a federal high court in Abuja on Friday.
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In a statement on Saturday, Abubakar Umar, NCoS public relations officer, said the minors were not remanded in any of its adult facilities, in line with the NCoS Act 2019.
Umar, who described the report as misleading, urged the public to disregard the report, noting that the service is committed to professionalism and respect for human rights.
“To set records straight, the NCoS Act 2019 has empowered the Controllers of Corrections as well as Superintendents-in-charge of Custodial Centres not to admit juveniles in facilities meant for adults,” the statement reads.
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“The Act also mandates the service to reject more intake of inmates where it is apparent that the custodial facility in question is filled to capacity.
“The service wishes to inform the public that the said suspects were rejected and none of them were remanded in adult custodial facilities as insinuated by the said report.
“The service assures the public that NCoS will continue to emphasise professionalism as well as respect for human rights in line with the United Nations Minimum Standard Rules for the Treatment of Juvenile offenders.
“Furthermore, the general public is enjoined to disregard the said report because it is not the true position of things.”
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