Today, three boys represented by CRJJC walked out of court as free children.

One had been in detention since 2025. Two others had been detained since 2024. For their families, these were not just “cases” on a court list. These were their children, boys they had been separated from for years, with little understanding of what was happening with their cases or when they would come home.

In July, CRJJC met the children at the NCoS Borstal Training Institute, Adigbe. We began tracing their matters across the courts.

For one of the boys, we discovered that his case had already been struck out in March 2026. Yet he remained in detention. We immediately applied for the release order, followed up on its issuance, paid the necessary costs for its transmission, and ensured it was served on the Borstal Institute on Friday, 14 August.

Today, he walked out.

For the other two boys, their case file had to be traced to the Ijoko Magistrate Court. We followed up with the Court, ensured that the boys were produced for today’s proceedings and continued to advocate for their release. The Magistrate noted that the complainant appeared to have abandoned the matter, and the boys were released to their families.

After years apart, their parents were able to take their children home.

This is what our work at CRJJC looks like.

It is the hours spent searching court registries. The calls and follow-ups. The journeys between courts. The applications. The filing and transmission costs. The logistics of getting children to court. The conversations with prosecutors and court officials. And, most importantly, the determination to keep going until we find an answer for a child who has been waiting.

These three boys are not statistics. They are children with families, lives and futures waiting for them.

And today, they went home.

There are still other children waiting. Other files to trace. Other families waiting for answers.

We will keep searching. We will keep advocating. We will keep showing up.

Because no child should spend years in detention simply because no one followed up on their case.

The post CRJJC Secures Release of Three Boys After Years of Detention appeared first on TOKAN Foundation.

During the third term, TOKAN Foundation invested ₦5,533,550 (approximately $3,998.40) in education, healthcare, welfare, recreation, and legal support for vulnerable children through the Child Rights & Juvenile Justice Centre (CRJJC).

Across Lagos and Ogun States, this support reached children in correctional centres and other vulnerable circumstances, helping to protect their rights, sustain their learning, strengthen their wellbeing, and restore hope for the future.

Every school term tells a story. This term’s story is one of futures protected, dreams nurtured, and opportunities restored. From school supplies and examination support to medical interventions, welfare visits, sporting activities, and legal advocacy, TOKAN Foundation and CRJJC continued to stand alongside children who deserve every opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.

Third Term at a Glance

TOKAN Foundation

• Invested ₦5,533,550 in child-focused interventions.
• Supported children across three children’s correctional centres in Lagos with education, welfare, recreation, and engagement activities.
• Distributed back-to-school supplies at the start of the term.
• Continued support for school and lesson fees, weekly lunch stipends, textbooks, school materials, and teachers’ salaries (at the Special Correctional Centre for Girls).
• Supported eligible beneficiaries with registration, preparation, logistics, and participation in WAEC, NECO, JAMB, and other qualifying examinations.
• Conducted bi-weekly welfare visits to children’s centres.
• Celebrated 13 graduates: 3 Senior Secondary School graduates, 9 Junior Secondary School graduates, and 1 Primary School graduate.
• Partnered with Drug Aid Africa to donate essential medicines and medical supplies to five children’s correctional centres in Lagos and the Nigerian Correctional Service Borstal Training Institute, Adigbe, Ogun State.

Child Rights & Juvenile Justice Centre (CRJJC)

• Hosted another edition of Know Your Rights for 104 children.
• Continued legal representation, court monitoring, case management, and advocacy for children in conflict with the law.
• Provided legal support at the Special Correctional Centres for Boys and Girls in Lagos and the Nigerian Correctional Service Borstal Training Institute, Adigbe.
• Secured the release of 5 children.

Investing in Education: Supporting Every Child’s Learning Journey

Education remains at the heart of TOKAN Foundation’s mission. We believe every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and realise their potential, regardless of their circumstances.

At the beginning of the term, the Foundation delivered essential school supplies to beneficiaries across correctional centres. These included textbooks, writing materials, toiletries, underwear, school socks, school belts, and other learning essentials, helping children return to school prepared and confident.

Our support extended throughout the term. TOKAN Foundation continued to cover school fees, lesson fees, weekly lunch stipends, textbooks, learning materials, and other welfare needs that enable children to remain focused on their education. We also participated in school open days and attended a meeting with school personnel and teachers following concerns raised by 19 beneficiaries.

A major highlight of the term was ensuring that every eligible beneficiary could sit for national examinations. Working closely with the correctional centres, we supported registration, academic preparation, transportation, and daily lunch stipends throughout the examination period.

As a result, beneficiaries successfully sat for WAEC, NECO, JAMB, and other qualifying examinations, opening pathways to higher education and new opportunities.

For TOKAN Foundation, education is more than school attendance. It is a route to confidence, dignity, independence, and a brighter future.

Celebrating Our Graduates

This term, we proudly celebrated the achievements of 13 beneficiaries:

• 3 Senior Secondary School graduates
• 9 Junior Secondary School graduates
• 1 Primary School graduate

Each graduation represents years of investment, encouragement, and perseverance. Some of these young people have received support since 2018, beginning at a very young age. Watching them progress through each stage of their education reaffirms our belief that every child deserves the chance to dream beyond their circumstances.

Graduate Spotlight: Fatima’s Journey

Fatima’s journey reflects the resilience of a young person determined to succeed and the transformative value of consistent support.

When Fatima came into our care in 2024, her future was uncertain. TOKAN Foundation committed to ensuring that financial circumstances would not stand in the way of her education, while CRJJC supported efforts to secure a stable and loving home through a guardianship process. Although the adoption process was unsuccessful and she returned to the correctional centre, our commitment to her wellbeing remained steadfast.

During this period, Fatima developed a swelling in her neck and was later diagnosed with tuberculosis. When timely intervention was not forthcoming, TOKAN Foundation covered her medical consultations, surgery, and treatment, supporting her recovery and ensuring that her health challenges did not interrupt her education.

Despite these setbacks, Fatima remained focused on her studies. This year, she graduated from Senior Secondary School and successfully passed WAEC, NECO, and JAMB. She is now preparing to begin university in the coming academic year.

Her story is a reminder of what becomes possible when a child is surrounded by people who refuse to give up: education, care, protection, healthcare, and hope can change the direction of a life.

Centre Performance Overview

Children’s Correctional Centre for Junior Boys, Birrel

• School supplies: 31 boys
• Lunch stipends: 31 boys
• School fees: 3 boys
• Lesson fees: 2 boys
• Textbooks: 8 boys
• School projects: 19 boys
• School party fees: 7 boys
• Glasses: 2 boys
• Mid-term school supplies: 21 boys
• Graduation outfits: 6 boys
• Football academy registration: 2 boys
• Medical support and supplies

Children’s Correctional Centre for Senior Boys, Isheri

• School fees: 2 boys
• NECO examinations, lessons, and logistics: 4 boys
• School supplies: 6 boys
• Textbooks: 2 boys
• Lunch stipends: 6 boys
• Lesson fees: 3 boys
• Medical support and supplies

Children’s Correctional Centre for Girls, Idi Araba

• School fees: 10 girls
• Graduation sashes: 6 girls
• Lunch stipends: 16 girls
• Salaries for 2 carers
• Medical support and supplies

Special Correctional Centre for Girls, Idi Araba

• Salaries for 3 secondary-school teachers
• Legal representation: 2 girls
• Medical supplies

Special Correctional Centre for Boys, Oregun

• Legal representation: 15 boys
• Know Your Rights: 104 boys
• Medical supplies

Nigerian Correctional Service Borstal Training Institute, Adigbe

• Legal representation for 30 boys and youth
• Medical supplies

Sports, Recreation, and Child Engagement

A child’s development extends beyond the classroom. Sports, recreation, and positive social interaction help build confidence, resilience, teamwork, and emotional wellbeing.

Throughout the term, TOKAN Foundation continued bi-weekly visits to children’s centres, creating opportunities for movie sessions, frisbee, football, board games, mentorship, and other recreational activities. These visits offer children safe spaces to connect, learn, have fun, and experience the joy of childhood.

On 1 May 2026, members of the Ultimate Frisbee Club visited the Children’s Correctional Centre for Junior Boys (CCJB) for a friendly match. The game was fiercely contested, with the boys demonstrating impressive skill and determination. Though they narrowly lost 19–20, their performance reflected the progress made through consistent practice and training.

Since 2025, teenagers at the Children’s Correctional Centres for Junior Boys and Girls have trained regularly with members of the Ultimate Frisbee Club. Several children have since been recognised as Most Valuable Players during friendly matches and tournaments, a testament to their discipline, enthusiasm, and growing confidence.

Alongside frisbee, the Foundation supports football and other sporting interests, while games such as chess and ludo encourage strategy, critical thinking, and positive social engagement. These activities remain an important part of our holistic approach to child development.

Healthcare and Welfare Support

This term, TOKAN Foundation once again partnered with Drug Aid Africa to deliver essential medicines and medical supplies to five children’s correctional centres in Lagos on 11 July 2026:

• Children’s Correctional Centre for Girls, Idi Araba (CCCG)
• Children’s Correctional Centre for Junior Boys, Birrel (CCJB)
• Children’s Correctional Centre for Senior Boys, Isheri (CCSB)
• Special Correctional Centre for Girls, Idi Araba (SCCG)
• Special Correctional Centre for Boys, Oregun (SCCB)

On 16 July 2026, the partnership extended to the Nigerian Correctional Service Borstal Training Institute in Adigbe, Ogun State.

Across the six institutions, the donations have the potential to benefit more than 700 children and young people. The five centres collectively care for approximately 200 children, while the Borstal Training Institute accommodates approximately 500 residents.

Supplies were tailored to the needs identified by each institution and included antimalarial medicines, antibiotics, pain relievers, anti-inflammatory and antifungal medicines, cough and cold treatments, vitamins and nutritional supplements, sickle-cell medication, topical creams, and other essential healthcare items.

Legal Advocacy Through CRJJC

Justice remains central to our mission of protecting vulnerable children.

Throughout the third term, CRJJC continued to provide legal representation, case searches, court monitoring, legal advice, and advocacy for children in conflict with the law.

During a visit to the Nigerian Correctional Service Borstal Training Institute in Adigbe on 16 July 2026, CRJJC learned of 10 boys in urgent need of legal representation, in addition to cases already being managed. Some had remained in custody for three to four years with little or no progress on their cases.

CRJJC immediately began extensive case tracing and legal follow-up, physically searching for files and verifying case statuses across courts and registries in Ogun, Lagos, and Ibadan. The team engaged court officials, registrars, prosecutors, and other justice stakeholders to establish the status of each case and pursue the next legal steps.

These efforts have already produced meaningful progress. Six missing case files were located; hearing dates were secured for four cases; and the release of two boys was facilitated. Searches for the remaining four files continue.

Perhaps most importantly, this exercise uncovered administrative lapses that had left some children effectively forgotten within the justice system. CRJJC has brought these concerns to the attention of relevant authorities and continues to advocate for timely resolution.

CRJJC at a Glance

• Legal expenditure for filing fees, logistics, and related costs: ₦316,200 (approximately $229.44)
• Children represented: 44
• Concluded cases / children released: 5
• Know Your Rights participants: 104 children
• Volunteer lawyers: 6, including 5 provided by Osuntuyi & Tokan-Lawal Law (OTL Law)

Know Your Rights

On 30 May 2026, CRJJC hosted another Know Your Rights session at the Special Correctional Centre for Boys in Oregun (SCCB), reaching more than 100 boys.

Volunteer lawyers led interactive discussions on children’s rights, the child justice administration system, and responsible citizenship. Through activities such as Picasso Me and Be My Lawyer, participants learned in an engaging and memorable way. Children who excelled in the activities and correctly answered questions received gifts.

Thank You

None of this work would be possible without the generosity of our donors, partners, volunteers, and supporters.

Every school fee paid, every medical supply delivered, every legal intervention pursued, every welfare visit made, and every child who returns to school with confidence is possible because you believe in our mission.

Together, we are building brighter futures, protecting children’s rights, and restoring hope, one child at a time.

As we prepare for another academic year, TOKAN Foundation and CRJJC remain committed to ensuring that every child has access to education, justice, care, and the opportunities they deserve.

Support Our Work

Your support helps sustain vital educational, welfare, medical, recreational, and legal interventions for our beneficiaries.

TOKAN Foundation
Zenith Bank Plc
Account Number: 1015972986

Donate online: paystack.com/pay/tokanfoundation

We also welcome partnerships and collaborations with individuals, businesses, religious organisations, and institutions that share our vision.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

The post Investing in Futures: A Third Term of Transforming Lives appeared first on TOKAN Foundation.

A child who comes into contact with the law should never lose the protections that childhood affords. Yet, too often, children are detained when alternatives exist, denied timely legal representation, or left waiting for months—even years—for their cases to progress.

A child justice system can only fulfil its purpose when every stakeholder understands that children are not simply “smaller adults”. They require a system designed around rehabilitation, protection and accountability, not punishment alone.

The Child’s Rights Act (and the Child’s Rights Laws enacted across the states) require that alternatives to detention be considered whenever appropriate. Depriving a child of liberty should never be the starting point—it should always be the measure of last resort.

At the Child Rights & Juvenile Justice Center (CRJJC), we are committed not only to providing essential legal support to children, but also to strengthening public understanding of children’s rights and promoting a child justice system that truly safeguards every child.

Please support our awareness campaign by following our page, engaging with our content and sharing it within your network.

You can also support our work by donating to:

Zenith Bank Plc
Account Name: TOKAN Foundation
Account Number: 1015972986

or via Paystack: https://paystack.com/pay/tokanfoundation

If a child requires legal assistance, please contact us at crjjc@tokanfoundation.com or send us a direct message on social media.

Together, we can build a justice system where every child is protected, every right is respected, and no child is left behind.

The post Safeguarding Children In Contact With The Law appeared first on TOKAN Foundation.

A child may be separated from his/her parent or guardian where it is determined that they are unable to provide care, protection, or maintenance to the child. Oftentimes, this separation can be prevented when necessary financial and social support is provided to the parent/guardian by the government, NGOs, or well-meaning individuals.

By helping children remain in positive family relationships with access to necessary care, protection, and maintenance, we can help improve their outcomes in life. We also reduce their chances of physical or emotional abuse, trauma, or other occurrencies which may cause the child to engage in detrimental behaviours.

***

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. 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.

We work with families, social workers, school proprietors, correctional centers and other institutions for children to ensure that children can properly navigate their way through the system. We also advocate tirelessly for the rights of children who are thrown into the juvenile justice system and help them navigate their way out or through it. We also help to ensure that they meet their terms of release and can transition seamlessly back into school. Where possible, and if in the best interest of the child, we assist with uniting/reuniting children with their families, guardians, or foster parents.

Donations remain crucial to our work and you can support our activities with donations to:

TOKAN Foundation’s bank account No. 1015972986 (Zenith Bank Plc) or https://paystack.com/pay/tokanfoundation.

We also welcome partnerships from individuals, businesses, religious organisations, and the government. For more information please reach out to us at crjjc@tokanfoundation.com, and on social media.

The post Child’s Right to: Parental Care, Protection, and Maintenance appeared first on TOKAN Foundation.