UDUS Law Students: Why Fed Govt should improve judicial system, prioritise child rights

The minor was not sure about how she thought Abidiesin would react upon hearing that she was accused of killing her stepson. So, with a smile, Abidiesin told her to proceed, as she was interested in her story.

“I was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment,” said the minor (now hoping to stand before the Court of Appeal), who insisted  that she was  implicated by her sister-in-law, whose hatred grew ever since she got married to her brother.

Speaking with CAMPUS LIFE, Abidiesin said:  “The reason they are being held in remand centres for extended periods is to make them reflect on their actions.”

But then, there’s more to it. For Abidiesin, who finds it hard to believe, cases like these  are surprising, a reminder that the culture of early marriage still stands, she wonders why its common practice despite the prohibitions of the Sokoto State Child Protection Law.

Beyond that, the justice system remains marred by undue delays. The data from the Nigerian Correctional Service(NCS)  further validates what another participant identified as Jimoh Zainab Olamide  witnessed.

Of the 51, 955 detainees awaiting trials (as of February 2026), the NCS was  reported to have estimated the population of children to be 30 percent, a figure that best explains the situation across all state-run remand centres in Nigeria.

Read Also: Old students expend N3.5 billion on alma mater, reaffirm commitment to education

“From interactions with some of the children, it was observed that many committed minor offences but remained in custody for long periods without trial. Frequent adjournments and slow court procedures worsen this situation,” Zainab explained.

To tackle this, Zainab proposes the establishment of an agency for periodic visits and case reviews.

“Reforms should include the creation or strengthening of an independent monitoring body, such as a Juvenile Justice Monitoring Committee, to oversee remand homes. Such agencies could conduct regular inspections, review each child’s case file periodically, and identify minors held beyond lawful detention periods.”

Similarly, in their defence, Bello Zynat Bolajoko, another student, acquiesced that that has meant lack of access to education, family support, and other opportunities that could help turn their lives around. In others, it hasn’t changed much about the crimes they might have committed—yet hinges towards a shaky future.

“One potential solution is to implement community based programmes that focus on rehabilitation and reintegration. Another alternative is to establish rehabilitation centres  that cater specifically to the needs of minors. These centres  could offer skills training and counseling to address underlying issues that may have contributed to their behaviour. By tackling the causes of delinquency, these centres  could help minors become productive members of society.”

“Family support services are also crucial in reducing this habit. Many minors in remand centres come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and their families may lack the resources to provide adequate support. By offering access to counseling, financial assistance, and other forms of support, families can help minors reintegrate into society more smoothly,” she said.

However, considering the current institutional gaps, when asked to share what’s required to address the needs of children in conflict with the law, Muheeb Mashood still wonders how less the damage would have been were provisions available to facilitate their reintegration.

Of his assessments, Mashood noted: “While the facility was supposed to serve as a place to equip the children with artisanal skills and prepare them upon release, nothing of such nature was put in place. That’s among the major problems we are experiencing in Nigeria.”

Even at that, Mashood says the welfare challenge also exposes the dangers caused by these institutional gaps. He recalls how an event played out involving the officer in charge, who felt hesitant, considering whether a thing should be appropriate for an inmate’s health condition.

“The child has been with the wound since he was brought there,” said the officer when pressed as to why one of the children in the facility carried a wound in his leg.

Although he claimed the child has been provided with medication, the wound, Mashood insisted, told a stark story of little access to healthcare deliveries in the facility.

It also occurred to him from his interaction with inmates, that perhaps Bolajoko’s call for formal education remains very much timely as “some of them claimed they were already in school, but would want to further their study, so they can sit for their Senior School Certificate Examinations.

Unlike total reliance on Islamic education, Mashood is hopeful that “should formal education be supplemented with Islamic schools, and if rightly enforced, it will aid the recovery for children in that facility. Because the whole essence is to ensure those children progress with their usual life.

Meanwhile,another Law student at UDUS, Muhammed Akindele condemned  the denial to legal representation for minors, especially in Sokoto State. He  describes it  as an infringement on  their rights to fair hearing as entrenched in the Nigerian constitution.

“The government is expected to improve these gaps by improving the justice system by focusing on children’s rights. This, they can do, by adherence to the child right law of various states, and other enactments that protect minors. Also, they should ensure every minor has access to a lawyer to protect their interests,” Akindele said.