When Salam (name changed to protect the child’s identity) was arrested in June 2025 at age 17 alongside a group of suspects at a gathering in Agege, he became another example of how children can be overlooked by the justice system.
Although he was not directly linked to the alleged offences, he was charged alongside the others. Even more troubling, despite being a child, Salam was processed as an adult and remanded in Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in June 2025.
According to the police, Salam stated that he was over 18 years old. Yet there was no meaningful effort to verify his age, despite clear safeguards under the Child Rights Law of Lagos State designed to protect children in conflict with the law. He was questioned without a parent, guardian or lawyer present, and was subsequently detained in an adult prison
For 8 months, Salam remained in Kirikiri from June 2025 to February 2026.
It was only after his older brother emailed the Child Rights & Juvenile Justice Center (CRJJC) in February 2026 seeking urgent assistance that the situation began to change.
Our team immediately requested documents to verify Salam’s age, confirmed his next court date, and appeared in court to represent him. We ensured that his birth certificate and LASSRA ID Card were placed before the court.
The Magistrate observed that Salam appeared youthful and accepted that he had been wrongly remanded in an adult correctional facility. The court consequently ordered his immediate transfer to the Special Correctional Centre for Boys, Oregun (SCCB), the institution where he ought to have been placed from the outset.
Salam’s case raises important questions.
How does a child end up in a maximum security prison for adults simply because his age was not properly verified? Why was this not identified earlier by the investigating authorities or the prosecution? And how many other children remain in the wrong facilities because no one has raised the alarm?
At CRJJC, our intervention did not end with securing Salam’s transfer. We continue to represent him throughout the ongoing criminal proceedings, ensuring that his rights are protected and that he receives the fair treatment every child is entitled to under the law.
This case is a reminder that child justice is not merely about prosecuting offences. It is about recognising childhood, applying the law correctly, and ensuring that administrative errors or indifference do not expose children to unnecessary harm.
No child should spend even one day in an adult prison because the system failed to ask the right questions.
That is why CRJJC exists.
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Support CRJJC
Since November 2022, CRJJC has provided pro bono legal services to over fifty (50) children and juveniles in centers across Lagos and Ogun state. Your generous contributions empower CRJJC to champion justice for every child, conduct public education in children’s correctional centres, and achieve meaningful outcomes for vulnerable children. With your help, we continue to strengthen our efforts through research, public awareness campaigns, and coalition building across Nigeria.
Join us in creating lasting change by donating to Zenith Bank Plc: 1015972986 (TOKAN Foundation) or via Paystack. https://paystack.com/pay/tokanfoundation
For legal assistance, email crjjc@tokanfoundation.com or message us on social media.
Together, let’s protect children and champion justice.
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About CRJJC
The Child Rights and Juvenile Justice Center (CRJJC), registered as the Child Rights and Juvenile Advocacy Center with CAC/IT/No/193337, is the legal services arm of TOKAN Foundation for Children and Young People. We provide legal support to children and juveniles in Nigeria. Our wholistic approach to child rights advocacy and juvenile justice helps to ensure that children and juveniles receive needed support in and out of the court room.
For more information about TOKAN Foundation and CRJJC, or to discuss other ways you can support our work, please reach out to us at crjjc@tokanfoundation.com, and engage with us on social media.