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The House of Representatives on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to build more remand institutions for underage offenders and remove them from prisons.
The call was prompted by a motion moved by Rep. Afe Olowookere (Ondo-APC).
Olowookere, while moving the motion, expressed concern over the high number of minors in prisons among adult inmates.
He said some of the minors in prisons may be innocent victims of police raids who could not meet the conditions required to regain their freedom. The lawmaker expressed worry that the minors were being treated as adult offenders.
He also expressed worry that the adult cell mates could influence the minors to become even more hardened criminals upon their release from prisons.
The motion was unanimously adopted by members when it was put to voice vote by Deputy Speaker Yussuff Lasun who presided at plenary.
The house urged chief judges of the various states to visit prisons more regularly to review cases involving minors held therein.
It, therefore, mandated its committees on justice and interior to ensure compliance and report back within 12 weeks for further legislative action.
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