A Rwandan national identified as Benjamin Relasss has reportedly died in custody at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, igniting fresh outrage over allegations of medical neglect, extortion, and deteriorating conditions within Nigeria’s correctional system.
Relasss, who was awaiting trial in a financial-related case before the Federal High Court in Abuja, reportedly died on Tuesday morning after allegedly failing to receive timely and adequate medical care while in detention.
Sources familiar with the matter said the deceased had remained in custody since 2023 after reportedly being denied bail on account of his foreign nationality.
His death has renewed concerns over the plight of awaiting-trial inmates in Nigeria, many of whom spend years in detention without the conclusion of their cases.
According to sources, Relasss had shown signs of worsening health before his death, but efforts to secure specialised treatment outside the correctional facility allegedly encountered significant obstacles.
Insiders alleged that inmates requiring advanced medical attention often face delays in obtaining referrals to external hospitals, despite the prison’s purported lack of adequate equipment and specialist personnel.
One source accused some officials of demanding substantial payments before approving medical referrals for sick inmates.
“Benjamin Relasss, a Rwandan citizen, died inside Kuje Prison this morning due to outright neglect by an overambitious and money-mongering officer in the facility,” the source alleged.
“The officer demands huge sums from sick inmates before allowing them to be referred to hospitals outside because the Kuje facility lacks adequate equipment and medical specialists.”
The source added: “Today, the Rwandan citizen Benjamin Relasss is dead while awaiting trial on a financial-related case before the Federal High Court in Abuja.”
Another source, speaking on condition of anonymity, described inadequate access to medical care as a persistent and troubling reality within the correctional centre.
“Yes, the Rwandan is dead. At Kuje prison, they request money before any sick person is taken to the hospital,” the source alleged.
“In fact, there is another inmate who is critically ill and currently at the prison clinic. They are allegedly demanding money before writing to the Chief Judge because he has only five months left on his sentence. Because there is no money, he is still lying in the clinic.”
The allegations have intensified calls for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Relasss’ death and whether negligence or misconduct by correctional officials contributed to the tragedy.
Human rights advocates have repeatedly raised alarm over overcrowding, prolonged detention, inadequate healthcare, and poor living conditions across Nigerian custodial centres. Legal experts maintain that when a detainee dies in state custody, authorities bear a heightened responsibility to provide transparent explanations and ensure accountability where lapses are established.
The incident further underscores long-standing concerns about prison healthcare in Nigeria, where access to specialised treatment remains limited and delays in obtaining referrals can prove fatal.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Nigerian Correctional Service on the allegations and the circumstances surrounding Relasss’ death were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
The National Spokesperson of the service, Chief Superintendent of Corrections (CSC) Jane Osuji, neither responded to telephone calls nor replied to a text message seeking clarification.
As demands for justice grow louder, rights groups and concerned observers insist that only a thorough, transparent, and independent probe can determine whether systemic failures, negligence, or abuse of authority played a role in the death of the Rwandan detainee.
The death of Benjamin Relasss behind prison walls is more than an isolated tragedy—it is a stark reminder of the state’s constitutional and moral obligation to safeguard the lives, health, and dignity of every person in its custody, regardless of nationality or legal status.