Gombe NBA calls for construction of remand homes over rising crimes among teens
The Nigerian Bar Association, Gombe State branch chairman, Barrister Benjamin Sati, on Monday decried absence of functional remand homes for delinquent matters.
Our correspondent reports that a remand home is a correctional facility for offending minors. It allows for their reformation, and correction.
However, due to its absence some are sent to custodial centres where they are hardened upon the completion of their term. With many of them causing further harm to the society when they return to their communities due to influence.
Disclosing this at a ceremony marking the commencement of 2024/2025 legal year at Gombe High Court complex, Sati called on government to provide the facility to allow for punitive measures capable of correcting them instead of evading justice.
He said, “Lack of remand homes in Gombe State, underaged persons are housed together with adults in the correctional facility.”
Continuing, Sati highlighted how due to absence of such facility and offender was granted bail but ended up killing two weeks after, “There was an instance where because of want of where they will be kept a young man was granted bail. Two weeks after the bail he killed again, if he was under some supervision on the remand home probably the life he took wouldn’t have been taken,” Sati added.
Responding, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General Barrister Zubair Umar, described it as lingering issue, promising that government will build a befitting remand home due to growing criminal activities among teens, “Since the creation of Gombe State last year this governor gave approve that land should be allocated and construction should start for construction of remand home,” he added.
