The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has launched an investigation into the suspicious movement of a robbery convict, Haruna Ayo, to a passport office in Lagos for the processing of travel documents — a development that has sparked national outrage and renewed concerns over systemic corruption within Nigeria’s correctional facilities.
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The incident, exclusively reported by Saturday PUNCH, occurred on Wednesday, May 19, 2025, when Ayo, serving a 21-year sentence for armed robbery at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Apapa, was escorted by prison officials to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) passport office in FESTAC Town.
Ayo, originally sentenced to life imprisonment, had his term reduced on appeal and was due for release on October 11, 2025. However, he was one of five inmates assigned to perform menial tasks at the private residence of the officer in charge of the custodial centre on the day of the incident.
According to sources, an orderly, allegedly acting on instructions from a superior officer, requested Ayo’s release during the outing. The inmate was then transported to the passport office under the guise of medical necessity.
While awaiting service at the NIS facility, the warder accompanying Ayo abruptly declared his intention to return the convict to the cell. The suspicious behaviour raised red flags among immigration officers, who detained both the inmate and his escort and escalated the matter to the Lagos headquarters of the NCoS at Alagbon.
Two officers, including one identified as Femi, were reportedly suspended in connection with the incident. A source said, “The real culprits are not being punished. This is a systemic issue with many layers of complicity.”
Another insider revealed that Ayo had for months exploited false medical claims to process travel documents. “He used a nearby hospital as cover to pursue a passport and visa application, claiming he had serious health issues, but he had been medically cleared three times,” the source added.
The plan, believed to have been in motion since 2024, was only uncovered after the service began investigating the controversial preferential treatment allegedly given to cross-dresser Idris Okuneye (Bobrisky) at the same facility.
The scandal has triggered wider scrutiny of the correctional service, which has been plagued by recurring allegations of corruption, VIP privileges for affluent inmates, and routine breaches of custody regulations. In 2024, reports emerged of another inmate in Ebonyi State, Ibuchi Eze, being smuggled out of prison to visit a girlfriend.
Confirming the current incident, the NCoS spokesperson, Abubakar Umar, said investigations were ongoing and that the staff member involved had been suspended to allow a thorough probe.
“The Comptroller-General does not take issues of indiscipline lightly,” Umar stated. “This administration under President Bola Tinubu has prioritised the welfare of correctional officers, but anyone found engaging in misconduct will be shown the way out.”
Reacting to the development, human rights and lawyer described the episode as a disgrace to the justice system.
Legal practitioner Tolu Babaleye said the incident highlighted a serious failure in Nigeria’s correctional philosophy. “Inmates are meant to reflect and reform, not run errands or process travel documents,” he said.
Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, condemned the illegal movement. “Taking a convict outside prison without judicial approval is a violation of the law,” he said. “There must be consequences for all officers involved.”
Dr. Monday Ubani, SAN and former NBA Vice President, also slammed the laxity in enforcement. “This undermines the entire criminal justice process,” he warned. “If a convict had escaped under these circumstances, it would have been catastrophic.”
Ubani stressed the need for urgent reforms and accountability, adding, “The Correctional Service must restore integrity, or it risks becoming complicit in sabotaging justice.”
The NCoS has pledged to provide updates as investigations continue, amid growing calls for a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s correctional infrastructure and governance.
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