A major breach in Nigeria’s correctional system has triggered swift disciplinary action after it was discovered that a convicted inmate attempted to obtain an international passport from behind bars.
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) announced the suspension of two of its officers involved in the scandal, following the detection of the illegal passport application through the Nigeria Immigration Service’s (NIS) upgraded digital monitoring system.
Abubakar Umar, spokesperson for the NCoS, revealed in a statement issued Saturday that the anomaly was flagged two weeks ago thanks to recent reforms in passport application processes and improved inter-agency collaboration.
“This breach highlights the importance of real-time surveillance and digital accountability tools,” Umar said. “The implicated officers were immediately suspended by the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) under the directive of the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.”
The Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, condemned the incident and vowed that the Service would not tolerate acts of corruption, collusion, or sabotage from within its ranks.
“Our mission remains clear—secure custody, humane treatment, and true reform,” Nwakuche stated. “Any officer who undermines that will be shown the exit.”
The incident has drawn public attention to ongoing efforts to sanitize Nigeria’s correctional facilities and close loopholes that allow abuses of the system.