Juvenile Justice and Children’s Rights in Oyo State: The Administration of Criminal Justice in Practice

This study examines the administration of juvenile justice in Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria, assessing how the juvenile court system protects or fails to protect the rights of children in conflict with the law under the Child Rights Law of Oyo State and the Administration of Criminal Justice Law. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (Beijing Rules) establish international benchmarks against which domestic practice is evaluated. Research data are gathered through observation of juvenile court proceedings at the Ibadan magistrate court complex, interviews with juvenile court magistrates, defense lawyers, probation officers, and youth detainees in Ibadan and Ogbomoso remand centers. Secondary data include case statistics from the Oyo State Judiciary Annual Report 2022 to 2024. Findings reveal that children continue to be detained alongside adult offenders in remand facilities, that diversion programs remain severely underdeveloped, and that many children appear before juvenile courts without legal representation. The study argues that these practices violate both domestic statutory requirements and international standards for child-friendly justice. Recommendations include dedicated juvenile remand facilities, mandatory legal representation for all child defendants, and expansion of community-based diversion alternatives. Keywords: juvenile justice, child rights, Oyo State, criminal justice, Beijing Rules.