Resuscitate FCT Children Correctional Centre – PFN Urges FCTA

To reduce criminality and mould the future generation, the FCT Administration has been called upon to urgently resuscitate the FCT Children Correctional Centre at Gwako in Gwagwalada Abuja.

The Executive Director, Prison Fellowship Nigeria Dr. Jacob Isado who made the call in Abuja at the opening of a two day sensitization workshop for FCT Magistrates on Restorative Justice said the center would bring about effective rehabilitation of children and youths in the territory.

While emphasizing on the need to embrace restorative justice to reduce the burden on courts and custodial centres, Dr Isado stressed that restorative justice restores dignity to victims, gives offenders a chance at redemption, and rebuilds the social fabric of the communities.

He urged the participants to “see themselves not just as trainees in this program, but as pioneers in a movement. A movement that insists that justice must heal as well as punish.”

“A movement that sees the offender as capable of change, the victim as deserving of dignity, and the community as needing restoration.This is no small task. It will take courage, it will take conviction, and it will take a change of mindset. “

Also, the guest speaker, Mrs Ozioma Izuora, said rehabilitation of the centre at Gwako, which had all the facilities has not been effectively utilized.

Mrs. Izuora explained further that,”
Please go and rehabilitate the Gwako transit home, Restorative Justice is already been established, there is a restorative justice centre in AMDC, Children and young people who fall into crime can be taken there for rehabilitation, so that they don’t need to go to prison and mix up with criminals who will turn them to more crime, so please go and rehabilitate and find trained personnel to mann the place.”

“Let us use the good facilities that we already have, so the more we train people, the more confident they have”.

Earlier, the Head of FCT Restorative Justice Center, Mrs. Miriam Kombi Ezeh urged relevant stakeholders to always refer cases within their jurisdiction to the centre to reduce the burden on the courts and the correctional centre.

Florence Adewale, Edited By Grace Namiji