The Federal Government has been urged to urgently rehabilitate and operationalise the abandoned Borstal Training Institute Ngwo to support survivors of gender-based violence and juvenile offenders.
The call was made by the Executive Director of the Economic and Social Empowerment of Rural Communities, Rev. Ikechukwu Nwaogu, during a press conference in Enugu on Monday.
The event, held in collaboration with the Enugu State GBV Task Force, formed part of the activities marking International Women’s Day 2026.
Speaking on the theme, “Breaking the Cycle of Gender-Based Violence: Survivor-Centred Services and Community Engagement in Enugu State,” Nwaogu lamented that the Ngwo facility was the only one among the four borstal homes in Nigeria—others located in Ilorin, Kaduna and Abeokuta—that had remained abandoned.
He noted that the situation had created a gap in the state’s capacity to rehabilitate rescued minors.
According to him, the state GBV task force recently rescued 114 adolescent girls from sexual exploitation and prostitution during raids on hotels across the state.
However, he said the absence of a functional borstal facility had hindered efforts to provide proper rehabilitation for the victims.
“We call on the Federal Government to urgently rehabilitate and operationalise the Borstal Training Institute, Ngwo, so that juvenile offenders and vulnerable adolescents from Enugu State and across the South-East and South-South regions can receive proper rehabilitation and reintegration support,” Nwaogu said.
He added that reviving the centre would strengthen the juvenile justice system in the region.
Nwaogu also disclosed that since the inauguration of the state task force on December 8, 2025, the unit had recorded over 1,000 cases of gender-based violence.
According to him, 1,086 cases were reported during the period, leading to 218 arrests, while 32 cases are currently in court and 18 suspects have been remanded.
He added that 46 survivors had received direct support, including medical care and free legal services.
Nwaogu noted that the high number of reported cases reflected increasing public awareness and growing confidence in the state’s reporting mechanisms.
He urged the media to continue amplifying campaigns against gender-based violence to curb the menace in society.
Other members of the task force and representatives of non-governmental organisations present at the briefing also condemned the rising cases of violence, stressing that government alone could not tackle the problem without community cooperation.
The Borstal Training Institute was originally established to serve as a correctional and rehabilitative centre for juvenile offenders and vulnerable adolescents across the South-East and South-South geopolitical zones.