The management of Okere Correctional Facility in Warri, Delta State, has been accused of attempting to replace an inmate linked to a robbery in Benin City, Edo State, with a deceased suspect, Chronicles Reporters has learned.
According to reliable sources within the prison, officials allegedly circulated a photograph of an individual previously killed by security forces, falsely claiming it was the inmate in question. However, investigations later confirmed that the actual suspect had been arrested, incarcerated, escaped, and then recaptured after committing further crimes.
“They released a picture of someone that security operatives had eliminated in the past, but that is not the inmate,” a source revealed.
A major breakthrough in the case occurred when officials intercepted a recorded video call and a selfie of the inmate. These pieces of evidence were subsequently presented to a ministerial team conducting an investigation at the facility. Following this revelation, two prison warders allegedly involved in the cover-up were detained at the Force Headquarters in Asaba. Authorities plan to transfer them to Abuja for further questioning.
In response to these findings, security measures at the facility have been significantly tightened. Prison authorities have imposed stricter visitor protocols and restricted public access to the facility, a source familiar with the case disclosed.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has since ordered a full-scale investigation into allegations that a group of four inmates at Okere Prison orchestrated a robbery in Benin City.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Babatunde Alao, the minister strongly condemned the alleged criminal activities and warned of severe consequences for any misconduct within the correctional system.
“I will not allow indiscipline to thrive under my watch. Any officer found guilty will face the full weight of the law. The leadership of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) must provide clear explanations,” Tunji-Ojo stated.
Chronicles Reporters had earlier reported that the robbery occurred on January 3, 2025. Armed assailants attacked a young man, stole his valuables, and transferred N4 million to an online bank account.
Initially, the Edo State Police Command struggled to identify the suspects. However, a geo-analysis of the bank account led investigators to the Udu area of Delta State, where they apprehended the account holder—a woman who claimed ignorance of the crime.
She told investigators that her boyfriend, whom she met online, had convinced 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 instructions.
Further investigations revealed that the robbery had been masterminded by inmates at the Warri Correctional Facility.
When police officers arrived at the prison, they faced initial resistance from officials who refused to release the suspects. However, after some intervention, authorities managed to apprehend one of the inmates—who was already on death row—following his confession to the crime.
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