Despite Federal Government’s position on decongestion of prisons across the country, about 97 under-aged persons are said to be under detention at the Port Harcourt Maximum Security Prisons. This revelation was made by the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) in a petition signed by its Rivers State Chairman, Mr. Naabulobari Naazigha -lue and addressed to the Rivers State Governor, Hon, Rotimi Amaechi. Describing the scenario as contrary to the constitution of the land, CDHR in the petition made available to the Leadership, also noted that without going into the intricacies surrounding their continuous detention, an accused is presumed innocent until found guilty.
The committee said some of the under-aged inmates having spent over three years in remand have the right under Nigeria domestic law and International Human Rights instrument not to be detained among adult prisoners as the case is. According to Article 37 of the Convention on the Rights of the child to which Nigeria is a signatory, the Committee said, “no child shall be subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences committed by persons below 18.”
Buttressing its position further, “the arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be in conformity with the law and shall be used ONLY as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time”, CDHR said.