EndBadGovernance Protest: Detained Suspects Not In Our Custody – NCoS

The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) has clarified that the suspects who were arrested during the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protest were not held in any of its adult custodial centers in Abuja.

The Service Public Relations Officer, Abubakar Umar, stated this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

Recall that suspects arrested during the protest were on Friday arraigned before Justice Obiora Egwuatu at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division.

Umar said there were misleading reports making the rounds in some sections of the media purporting that the suspects were remanded in one of the adult custodial centres in Abuja.

According to the NCoS spokesman, the said report has no iota of truth.

”The Service operates under the best correctional and global practices.

“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 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,” he said.