A shocking case of prison corruption has emerged as some inmates at the Okere Correctional Facility in Warri, Delta State, have been linked to a robbery operation in Benin City, Edo State.
Among the robbers was a death row inmate who, along with others, allegedly escaped from prison, carried out the said armed robbery, and returned safely to prison custody without detection—all with the alleged assistance of corrupt prison officials.
The robbery took place on January 3, 2025, when a group of armed men attacked a young man in Benin City, stealing valuable items from him and transferring ₦4 million from his account to an online bank account.
Despite an initial report to the Edo State Police Command, progress in identifying the suspects was slow.
Read Also: Senator Ken Eze condemns brutal killing of 13 in Ebonyi, demands justice
However, a breakthrough came when the victim conducted a geo-analysis of the bank account, leading investigators to the Udu area of Delta State. Following further investigation, the police arrested the account holder, a woman who later revealed she had been unknowingly used as a financial intermediary by her online boyfriend.
Sources said that the woman confessed to the police that she had met her boyfriend online, and he had asked her to open a PalmPay account, claiming that his phone had fallen into a river.
She also disclosed that N4million was later paid into the said PalmPay account, her supposed boyfriend instructed her to transfer huge amounts to multiple accounts without her knowing that the funds were linked to a robbery.
Further investigation led the police to the Okere Correctional Centre, where they discovered that the robbery was orchestrated by serving inmates.
Upon arriving at the prison, the police met stiff resistance from prison officials, who allegedly tried to shield the suspects. However, one inmate, a death row prisoner was eventually identified and arrested.
Confirming the incident, the Executive Assistant (Security) to the Delta State Governor, Udoka Emmanuel Chika-dibie, on his Facebook page on Monday, alleged that corrupt prison officials were accepting bribes to allow inmates to leave the facility, commit crimes, and return undetected.
“A young man was robbed on January 3rd in Benin City by armed men who stole valuables and transferred ₦4 million to a PalmPay account. The police traced the account to Udu, where they arrested a woman who confessed her boyfriend owned the account,” Chika-dibie stated.
He further explained how police linked the robbery back to the Warri Correctional Facility, where all the suspects were already serving time for other crimes.
“Inmates were allowed to leave prison custody, travel to Benin to rob, and return. This was possible because corrupt prison officials accepted bribes and turned a blind eye,” he added.
The shocking revelation has sparked public outrage and calls for urgent reforms within Nigeria’s correctional system to prevent further abuses of power.
