The chairman, Association of Non-Governmental Organisations in Gombe State, Ibrahim Yusuf, has urged the state government to make its remand centres functional.
A remand home is a place where juvenile offenders are kept due to their age and are guided through counselling sessions to become better persons.
He decried situations where offenders are taken to custodial centres, thereby leaving them at the mercy of condemned criminals.
Yusuf made this plea during his address at the handing over of a renovated safety shelter for victims of Gender-Based Violence, located at the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development by the United Nations Population Fund.
He said, “We don’t have a functional remand home in the state, where our children will be kept when they commit any crime even today. I was discussing with honourable commissioner about a case involving a 12-year-old at Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and they are preparing to take him to court for stealing.
“He is not supposed to be taken there because if he is taken to court definitely he will be sent to remand home and there is no functional remand home in the state. He may be taken to the prison (custodial centre), and instead of re-orientating, rehabilitating him, will be a training ground for him to become hardened.”
While explaining the gains of such centres to the wellbeing of minors, Yusuf urged the state government to renovate the centre before May 29, 2023 in order to have a functional remand home for the children because it’s a serious problem.
“The remaining children we have in remand home are living in prison (custodial centre) and it’s not supposed to be so. We are calling on stakeholders to make this happen,” Yusuf urged.
On his part, UNFPA representative in charge of the Kaduna Sub Office, Dr Awoke Tasew-Tebeje, said the shelter was renovated to bring succour to victims of GBV in the state.
Tasew-Tebej urged the state government to replicate such centres across the 11 local government areas in order to solve the needs of victims within their immediate environment.
He disclosed that UNFPA works in three key areas of prevention, protection and provision of services.
Tasew-Tebej said, “We have to make sure there is no gender-based violence but if it happens. This is a safe haven for victims of violence and they will be connected with the legal system to make sure the perpetrators are brought to justice. They will be connected with the healthcare referral system and psycho-support services.
“Such services should be closer to the communities. In the future, it is better if we take the shelter closer to the communities to access this service. This should really be a model for other states.”
