Section 8: Visitors and visiting committees

(1)
The Minister may, after consultation with the appropriate Commissioner of the State concerned, by notice in the Federal Gazette, appoint such persons as he may think fit to be visitors in relation to such remand centres and borstal institutions as may be specified in the notice.
(2)
The following shall ex officio be visitors-
(a) in relation to all remand centres and borstal institutions in the Federation, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Justices of the Supreme Court;
(b)
in relation to remand centres and borstal institutions in the area of their jurisdictions only-
(i) the Chief Judges and Judges of the High Courts of the States;
(ii) all District Judges;
(iii) all magistrates;
(iv) all Area Court Judges and presidents of area/customary courts;
(v) all justices of the peace.
(3)
The Minister may, after consultation with the appropriate Commissioner of the State concerned, by notice in the Federal Gazette, appoint any visitor or visitors to be a visiting committee in relation to such remand centres and borstal institutions as may be specified in the notice without prejudice to the general right of visitation on the part of other visitors.
(4) Visitors and visiting committees shall perform such functions and duties in relation to remand centres and borstal institutions as may be prescribed.
(5)
The Minister may by notice in the Federal Gazette delegate the powers conferred by this section to appoint visitors and visiting committees to the appropriate Commissioner of a State in respect of remand centres and borstal institutions in his State.
(6) The provisions of this section which appoint officers or authorities of States to be visitors shall not come into operation in respect of any State until the President shall have signified in the Federal Gazette the consent of the Governor of the State thereto.