Borno State government said state-of-the-art juvenile and minor offenders rehabilitation centers would be established to pioneer a shift toward restorative justice.

The Borno State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Hauwa Abubakar, stated this in a briefing marking the June 12 Democracy Day celebration in Maiduguri, on Friday.

Abubakar argued that retributive punishment alone cannot achieve long-term societal reform.

Instead, the focus must shift toward psychological evaluation, skill acquisition, and thorough reorientation.

“Punishment in isolation does not yield the sustainable behavioral reform we desire. We must adopt a compassionate, comprehensive rehabilitation framework that counsels, heals, and empowers young offenders, giving them a genuine second chance to become productive, law-abiding citizens,” she said.

Abubakar said before the tenure of Governor Zulum elapsed, a series of deliberate transformative initiatives were outlined to strengthen the state’s justice system, reforming offender rehabilitation, and safeguarding public morality.

She said to elevate judicial welfare, the government would commence the project of Judges’ Estate to provide them with comfortable living environments, and safeguard the integrity and independence of the judicial system.

“This modern and high-security Judges’ estate has already been captured in the current fiscal budget. It is designed to provide premium, secure, and conducive accommodation befitting the status and dignity of judicial officers,” she said.

The Attorney General, however, commended Governor Zulum for his support in the area of judicial infrastructure and reform.

“We have witnessed unprecedented investment. Magistrate Courts, High Courts, and Sharia Courts have been renovated and equipped with modern facilities across the state.

“New judicial complexes have been constructed — particularly in areas devastated by the insurgency — bringing justice closer to the people,” she said

Aisha said, as chairperson of Borno State Anti-Social Vices Committee, they deployed proactive, intelligence-driven, and preventive strategies that ensured sharp and encouraging decline in crime rates and social vices across the state.

“Eradicating social vices and moral decay is a shared civic duty,” she emphasized.

“We must mobilize our community and religious institutions to reshape the mindsets of our youth, ensuring that we reduce all forms of immorality to the barest minimum.” (Daily Trust News)

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