Lagos set to rehabilitates freed teenagers prisoners
Lagos State Government has commenced the process of rehabilitating and re-uniting the 80 newly released teenagers from the Badagry prison to their respective family and relatives guardians.
On Tuesday, the teenagers were released by the Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Funmilayo Atilade during one of her visits to prisons across the State metropolis.
In her speech during a visit to the Oregun Correctional Home for Boys in Lagos on kudirat Abiola way, Lagos, where the released underage inmates are presently being rehabilitated on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Youths and Social Development, Pharmacist Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, said that the children were immediately accommodated at the centre immediately after their release so that the state government can give them the appropriate care they need as possible.
The commissioner also disclosed that although the development was an impromptu one as people may see it, the children had since their arrival at the centre been subjected to series of tests including psychiatric test from the ministry to ascertain the level of their mental alertness and sanity that they might have in common.
Also in her statement she said that some of the children who have been able to provide traceable details about their residences, parents or family members have been reunited to their relatives as appropriates, adding that the Lagos state government will contact appropriate authorities from other States to come to the centre and identify the remaining children as the necessary thing to do and expected from them.
Relating to her, the Lagos state government has been following due processes in the handing-over and integration of the children cases and related effort to their respective relatives.
The state Commissioner had warned the released children especially that of other States to desist from getting involved in criminal activities and stay away from Lagos if they don’t have any meaningful engagement or family members who will fend for them or cared for them.
The disclosure by the children that over ninety percent of them were either living with a family member or a single parent in the state, the state Commissioner appealed to parents and guardians to be committed to the needs of their wards as the ends meet and be wary of sending their children to stay with distant family members who they cannot vouch for to care of their wards for them as such contributes to the handling issues.
The commissioner sent a statement as encouraging couples to ward off divorce “my advice to married couples is that they should try as much as possible to guide against divorce because of its attendant effect on children in recent times. Parents and guardians should spend quality time with their children and wards, provide for them and show care for them so that they will not be easily swayed into crime and vices in our society”
“Ii see it obvious that parental care is lacking in these children and the problem is a fall-out of what obtains in the society at large at present. and This ugly trends and situation make these children susceptible and exposed to various forms of abuses and societal vices” in the society as she enclosed.
Akinbile-Yussuf had also promised to make available to children food items and more medical aids in form of drugs for the teenagers.
the Consultant Psychiatric with Lagos State College of Medicine, LASUCOM,
Dr. Olayinka Atilola who provides medical care aid for the children at the children centre, disclosed that 20 of the children had already been reunited with their family members at the released time.
Dr. Atilola commended the visit by the state Commissioner and top government officials represented from the Ministry of Youths and Social Development, stating that the visit will go a long way in increasing the sense of belonging among the children and help them in uniting with loved ones.
He stated that the medical assistance remedies are also already being provided for some of them that have medical challenges and symptoms, he added that medical examination on some of the children already shown that a significant number of them have body rashes and infection in their body too.
Follow us on Facebook – Dailyfamily.ng, Twitter – @DailyfamilyNG , Whatsapp +2348188889427, BBM PIN D86722A7 and instagram @dailyfamilyng for more updates.
