Nigeria's Prisons: Inmates' Kidnap, Fraud, and Extortion Rings

When Benin City resident Odion Akagbosu received a chilling text message last month warning that hired killers were after him, he feared for his life. For days, he barely slept, constantly looking over his shoulder.

But police investigations uncovered a shocking twist—the threatening message was allegedly sent by an inmate inside Oko Correctional Centre.

The discovery has once again raised concerns over the growing trend of criminals allegedly coordinating kidnappings, internet fraud, extortion and other crimes from inside Nigeria’s correctional facilities.

Recent findings point to a disturbing pattern involving prisons such as Kirikiri, Kuje, Warri, and Oko, where inmates have allegedly gained access to mobile phones and outside collaborators to continue criminal activities despite being in custody.

The Federal Government recently sanctioned 147 Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) officers over contraband-related offences and destroyed 1,167 mobile phones recovered from prisons nationwide. Authorities said the phones, SIM cards and cash were being used by inmates to run criminal operations from behind bars.

Several high-profile cases have fuelled public concern. In 2020, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) uncovered how convicted fraudster Hope Aroke allegedly continued a multimillion-dollar cyber fraud network while serving a prison sentence in Kirikiri. Another inmate at Kuje Prison was linked to a fake bank alert syndicate, while a separate case saw a Kirikiri inmate allegedly defraud a bank manager of ₦12.3 million from prison.

Warri Medium Security Custodial Centre also came under scrutiny after allegations that inmates temporarily left the facility to carry out robbery and kidnapping operations before returning unnoticed. Although the Nigerian Correctional Service denied the claims, the allegations sparked nationwide outrage.

Security experts blame the problem on corruption, weak surveillance, insider collaboration and the smuggling of mobile phones into prisons. They say correctional centres are increasingly becoming command centres for organised crime rather than places of rehabilitation.

In response, the Nigerian Correctional Service says it has strengthened anti-contraband operations and warned that both inmates and officials found aiding criminal activities will face prosecution.

Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has also pledged tougher sanctions, improved surveillance technology and stronger intelligence-sharing among security agencies to curb prison-based criminal networks.

Security analysts, however, insist that lasting reforms will require stricter monitoring of prison staff, advanced surveillance systems and severe punishment for compromised officials who enable criminal operations behind bars.