The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria has expressed displeasure over the lack of remand centres in Bayelsa State
The council said that the development accounts for why minors are lumped in the same correctional centres with adults in the state.
The council stated this on Friday, after facilitating the release of 17- year -old Justice Morris from the Okaka Correctional Center in Yenagoa.
The aid council said the audit which led to the release of the minor, followed a presidential initiative on prison decongestion.
Coordinator, Legal Aid Council in the state, Mr. Eddy Inenevwo, said in an interview that the release of Justice followed an audit of correctional centre.
Inenevwo explained that the Legal Aid Council carried out the audit, in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in respect of children in custody.
He said that President Bola Tinubu had mandated the two organisations to evaluate the status of inmates in correctional facilities, with options of fines for minor offences, and minors held with adults inside correctional centres.
According to Inenevwo, the data of inmates with the option of fines were also compiled, and sent to the office of the minister of justice, for possible payment of judgement fines.
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“The Legal Aid Council and the National Human Rights Commission visited the Okaka Correctional Centre, Yenagoa, and found a 17- year- old, Justice Morris, who was in custody at the centre.
“He was arrested late January, charged and admitted to the correctional centre on February 12, 2025. During the exercise on February 19, we demanded for his warrant and saw that
the matter was adjourned to February 26, 2025, for hearing and the offence was assault occasioning harm on the head of one Patience Sumala,” Inenevwo said
The coordinator said the Legal Aid Council took up the matter, went to court and addressed the court on the issue of minors being in the custody with adults.
Inenevwo noted that the council found out that since the 17 –year- old was charged to court, while no prosecution witnesses came to court.
“Justice Morris’s continuous stay in custody without trial is unfair and a breach of his constitutional right. The Chief Magistrate Court 15 struck out the charge, and discharged the defendant,” he said.
