an Eldis Resource

This paper is part of a two-year research and advocacy project examining the situation of the human rights abuses of street children in juvenile justice systems in six countries: Kenya, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Romania. The study used research and national, cross-sectoral workshops involving street children, civil society organisations, the police, judiciary, social and probation services and other stakeholders.

The report discusses the framework for the juvenile justice system in Lagos State and explores the challenges and problems of street children. Three chapters examine in detail the juvenile justice system: the pre-trial stage, focusing on the role of the police in the arrest, detention and bail of children; the trial stage, focusing on the courtroom situation and processing options available; and detention, both pre and post-trial, with a detailed examination of the remand homes and approved schools in Lagos State.

Specific recommendations from the study, and from street children themselves include:

• prevention: NGOs, CSOs and voluntary bodies should build the capacity of children through training to reach other street children through peer influence and counselling
• vigorously implement existing laws and policies protecting children against child abuse which drives children into the streets
• outreach and reconciliation: abolish or drastically reduce institutional disposition by giving preference to direct outreach and reconciliation of children from the streets through welfare outreach programmes
• diversion: lobby President, as a matter of urgency to sign Children’s Bill
• through legislation, empower children to seek and obtain redress for violation of their rights
• detention/alternatives to detention: NGOs and civil society including the press should vigilantly and positively play their roles as effective watchdogs of the system
• improve educational and vocational services offered to the children in the institutional homes
• re-integration: teach children their rights and how to fight for them
• government should prohibit through legislation, and enforce, the prohibition of all discrimination against ex-child detainees whether or not in regard to employment or admission of any kind.

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