Warders from the Kirikiri Maximum Security Custodial Centre in Apapa escorted a convicted armed robber, 38-year-old Haruna Ayo, to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) passport office in FESTAC Town on Wednesday, May 19 only for immigration officers to discover he was an inmate serving a commuted sentence.
Ayo, originally sentenced to life imprisonment for armed robbery, had his term reduced to 21 years and was due for release on October 11, 2025. On the day in question, he was among five inmates assigned to perform menial duties at the home of the custodial centre’s officer in charge.
According to an internal source, a subordinate correctional officer, acting on orders from a superior, instructed the supervising warder to hand Ayo over to him. The officer then presented Ayo at the FESTAC passport office, where routine checks immediately raised suspicions.
“While waiting to be attended to, the warder escorting him became impatient and said, ‘I need to take him back to the cell,’” the source explained. “That statement triggered alarm among immigration officials, who detained both the inmate and the officer and escalated the matter.”
The NIS subsequently reported the incident to the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) Lagos Command at Alagbon. Two correctional personnel were suspended pending investigation.
In a statement issued on Saturday, NCoS Public Relations Officer Umar Abubakar said the misconduct was uncovered through recent reforms, including the automated passport application system introduced within the NIS “a fortnight ago.” He emphasized that inter-agency cooperation was key to detecting the irregularity.
“Such actions contradict established rules and procedures of the NCoS and are unacceptable and impermissible,” Abubakar said.
The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board, chaired by Interior Minister Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has endorsed disciplinary measures against the implicated officers. Controller General of Corrections Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche MFR mni reaffirmed his commitment to “upholding discipline, transparency, and professionalism in all custodial centres,” warning that any personnel found guilty of misconduct or corruption “will be shown the way out of the system.”
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