Ancient Greek Mythology weaves a captivating story of Demeter, the goddess of fertility whose daughter Persephone is abducted by the god of the underworld Hades, to be his queen. The effect of Demeter’s grief over the loss of her daughter causes the Earth to become barren, and humanity suffers a bitter famine.
A compromise is later struck by the gods concluding that Persephone would spend part of earth’s cycle with Hades and the other part with Demeter, the former culminating in the physical autumn and winter seasons, while the latter culminates in spring and summer.
Beyond a metaphor of the Earth’s agricultural cycles, what is further instructive is the point Demeter stopped weeping and stopped searching, representing the defining moment which allows her child Persephone to remain in the underworld unchecked.
Nigeria is currently living out its own Persephone tragedy, as a rising tide of children emerge as principal actors in heinous crimes and morally disoriented acts nationwide. Four major events over the past three years have drawn national attention and hold particular significance.
In January 2022, two teenage boys in Abeokuta were arrested for the ritualistic killing of a young woman. They confessed to beheading her and burning her head in a pot as part of a money-making ritual. In the same year, a 10-year-old girl from Chrisland Schools in Lagos was seen in a viral video having a sexual act with other students during a school trip abroad.
In 2024, a network of young boys who engaged in sextortion schemes online was uncovered. Their activities, linked to numerous teen suicides abroad, involved the use of social media platforms to lure teenage boys in Western countries into sharing explicit images which were then used for blackmail. Additionally, in March 2025, a clash between secondary school gangs over a romantic dispute in Suleja, Niger State, resulted in two minors being shot.
Amid the intense public outrage, moral panic and collective despair trailing these events, what follows is a less emphasised erasure of restorative cycles for children within the justice system in Nigeria. There is a troubling shift in how the State and society treat young offenders: once routed through a communal and sacred lens, and later gradually codified in legal instruments such as the Child Rights Act of 2003, children are now often processed through systems that fail to deliver on a genuine child-centred justice.
The Nigerian juvenile justice system, in several areas, is still anchored to colonial-era laws and punitive approaches. The Children and Young Persons Act and the Criminal Code, for instance, set the age of criminal responsibility as low as seven years, and the system is plagued by inadequate remand homes, underfunded institutions, and the mixing of juveniles with adult offenders. This not only exposes young offenders to further victimisation but also undermines any chance of rehabilitation.
Learning from global best practices
Other nations have faced similar crises and responded with evidence-based reforms. In the United Kingdom, police-led diversion schemes — using cautions, restorative actions, and referrals to support services — have reduced re-offending rates by 20 percent compared to traditional prosecution. The United States has invested in school-based prevention programmes, mentoring, and after-school activities, which have been proven to prevent drug use, delinquency, and school drop-out. Early intervention and family support, as demonstrated in Australia’s Pathways to Prevention project, cut serious youth crime by over 50 percent when pre-school enrichment was combined with parent engagement.
In tackling sextortion, countries like the US and Canada have launched public education campaigns, developed online safety curricula, and created reporting tools for youth and parents. The US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children’s “No Escape Room” campaign and the Philippines’ “For Your Eyes Only” e-learning course are examples of innovative, youth-focused responses. Technology companies in these countries have also introduced parental controls and AI-driven detection of exploitative content, while governments have strengthened penalties for offenders and improved victim support services.
What the Nigerian government and civil society can do
Nigeria can address juvenile crime and sextortion by drawing on proven strategies from around the world and adapting them to local realities. First, the government should strengthen legal frameworks by amending outdated laws, raising the age of criminal responsibility, and ensuring compliance with the Child Rights Act. Specialised juvenile courts and well-trained personnel are essential for a child-centred approach.
Expanding diversion and restorative justice programmes, such as police-led cautions and referrals to social services for minor offenses, can reduce re-offending and support reintegration, as seen in the UK. Investing in education, vocational training, and digital literacy is also crucial — these measures have cut youth crime rates by up to 40 percent in some Nigerian states. Integrating online safety into school curricula will help tackle emerging threats like sextortion.
Family and community engagement, modelled by groups like the Global Peace Foundation, builds resilience and supports reintegration. Nationwide awareness campaigns and accessible victim support services, including confidential reporting and counselling, are vital for prevention and recovery. Finally, leveraging technology and international cooperation — such as empowering NAPTIP’s Cybersecurity Response Team and partnering with tech firms — will strengthen detection and prosecution of online offenders. Civil society must continue to advocate, educate, and provide grassroots support, working closely with the government for holistic reform.
Nigeria stands at a crossroads. The evidence of rising juvenile crime and the gaps in response are clear, but so too are the solutions. By learning from successful models elsewhere and investing in prevention, education, restorative justice, and multi-sector collaboration, Nigeria can reform its juvenile justice system and restore hope for its children.
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