The management of the Okere Correctional Facility in Warri, Delta State, has been accused of attempting to swap an inmate linked to a robbery case in Benin City, Edo State, SaharaReporters has learned.
Top sources in the facility revealed that prison authorities allegedly circulated a photo of an individual previously eliminated by security forces, falsely claiming it was the inmate in question.
However, further investigations confirmed that the inmate had been arrested, imprisoned, and later recaptured after escaping and committing additional crimes.
“They brought out a picture of someone security operatives eliminated in the past. That is not the person.
“A breakthrough in the investigation occurred when officials intercepted a recorded video call and a selfie of the inmate, which were later presented to a ministerial team on the ground.
“Following this revelation, two warders implicated in the security lapse were detained at the Force Headquarters in Asaba, with plans to transfer them to Abuja for further interrogation.
“Authorities have since tightened security measures at the facility, imposing stricter visitor protocols and limiting public access to the prison,” a source familiar with the case told SaharaReporters.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had ordered an immediate and comprehensive investigation into reports that a four-man gang of inmates at Okere Prison had participated in a robbery in Benin City.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Babatunde Alao, the minister condemned the alleged criminal activities, warning that any misconduct within the correctional system would be met with severe consequences.
“I will not allow indiscipline to fester under my nose. Any officer found wanting will face the full weight of the law. The leadership of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) must provide explanations,” Tunji-Ojo stated.
SaharaReporters previously reported that the robbery took place on January 3, 2025, when armed assailants attacked a young man, stole valuables, and transferred N4 million to an online bank account.
Initially, the case was reported to the Edo State Police Command, but progress in identifying the suspects was slow. A breakthrough came when a geo-analysis of the bank account led investigators to the Udu area of Delta State, where they arrested the account holder, a woman who claimed she was unaware of the crime.
She told the police that her boyfriend, whom she met online, had instructed her to open the account after claiming his phone had fallen into a river. She later withdrew and transferred large sums of money under his direction.
Further investigation revealed that the robbery had been orchestrated by inmates at the Warri Correctional Facility.
When police officers arrived at the prison, they were initially met with resistance from officials, who refused to hand over the suspects. However, authorities eventually managed to arrest one of the inmates—who was already on death row—after he confessed to participating in the crime.