Fresh concerns have emerged over the welfare and safety of human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, following allegations that he is being detained in a cell alongside inmates suffering from tuberculosis at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.
Sources familiar with the situation claimed that one of the tuberculosis patients recently died, while another inmate is reportedly battling spinal tuberculosis, raising fears about possible exposure to infectious diseases and the state of healthcare services within the correctional facility.
According to the sources, the development has heightened anxieties over prison conditions and the adequacy of medical attention available to inmates, particularly in light of recent reports of deaths allegedly linked to delayed treatment and insufficient healthcare funding.
A source alleged that keeping detainees in such conditions poses grave risks to their health and called for immediate intervention by relevant authorities to ensure proper medical screening, humane detention standards and unrestricted access to quality healthcare services for all inmates.
The concerns come amid renewed scrutiny of healthcare delivery at the Kuje Correctional Centre following the reported death of an inmate, Sulieman Ajari, at Gwagwalada Hospital after an alleged delay in obtaining urgent medical treatment. The incident reportedly occurred days after another inmate, a Rwandan national identified as Benjamin Relass, died while in custody, prompting investigations into conditions within the facility.
Prison sources further alleged that access to specialised medical care often depends on whether inmates or their families can raise funds to cover treatment expenses, with some critically ill prisoners reportedly waiting until their conditions become severe before receiving referrals outside the correctional centre.
Meanwhile, Sowore remains in custody after Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja revoked his bail in an ongoing case instituted by the Department of State Services (DSS) over remarks in which he described President Bola Tinubu as “a criminal.” The court has fixed June 30, 2026, for ruling on his application seeking the restoration of his bail.
During the latest proceedings, counsel to the activist urged the court to release him into the custody of his legal team pending the determination of the application, arguing that he had consistently appeared before the court and posed no flight risk. The request, however, was declined as the court said it required additional time to review the processes before it.
The allegations surrounding Sowore’s detention have intensified public debate over the treatment of inmates in Nigerian correctional facilities, with civil society groups and supporters demanding improved healthcare services, humane living conditions and stronger protections for the rights and welfare of detainees across the country.