The International Human Rights Commission – Relief Fund Trust (IHRC-RFT Global), Nigeria Chapter, has called for urgent reforms in the country’s criminal justice system to make it more balanced, humane, and focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment.
In an official statement issued by its Country Director, Amb. Abdullahi Bakoji Adamu, the organization stressed that punishment alone has proven ineffective in preventing recidivism, as many ex-inmates often return to society only to face rejection, stigma, and exclusion.
According to him, most individuals who complete their sentences struggle to reintegrate due to limited access to employment and community acceptance. This, he said, forces many back into unlawful activities as a means of survival. “Communities distance themselves from ex-offenders, employment opportunities are denied, and they are continuously judged by their past mistakes. Such social isolation often increases the risk of reoffending,” Amb. Adamu noted.
He emphasized that correctional facilities must go beyond confinement to become true centres of reform, where inmates are equipped with education, vocational training, counseling, and practical rehabilitation programs that enable them to lead productive lives after release.
“A justice system that genuinely seeks public safety must combine accountability with transformation,” the IHRC-RFT Country Director said, adding that addressing the root causes of crime—such as poverty, unemployment, and lack of education—was key to ending the cycle of reoffending.
Amb. Adamu therefore called on policymakers, correctional authorities, civil society organizations, and community leaders to support reforms that promote rehabilitation, reintegration, and second chances for ex-offenders.
He concluded that sustainable justice can only be achieved when the system focuses not just on punishment, but on restoration, empowerment, and reintegration of citizens back into society.