By Hagxy Don
In a shocking revelation of organized crime within Nigeria’s correctional facilities, an armed robbery that took place in Benin on January 3, 2025, has exposed the deep rot in the prison system. The crime, which saw a young man dispossessed of valuable items and forced to transfer ₦4 million to a PalmPay account, has now been traced to serving inmates of Warri Correctional Prison, operating with the alleged backing of corrupt prison officials.
The victim initially sought justice through the Edo State Police Command, but no progress was made in identifying the culprits. However, inspired by the impressive investigative work of CSP Aliyu Shaba—who recently cracked the Paulinus Okon murder case in Otokutu—the victim decided to take his case to Ekpan Police Station.
Through geo-analysis, investigators linked the PalmPay account to the Udu area, leading to the arrest of its holder. The woman confessed that the account belonged to her online boyfriend, whom she believed to be a wealthy offshore worker.
“I met him online, and he told me he had many staff under him. In January, he claimed his phone had fallen into a river and asked me to open a PalmPay account for him. Later, a lady came to collect the ATM card. On January 4, I received an alert of ₦4 million, and he gave me instructions to send the money to different accounts,” she revealed.
A deeper analysis of these accounts led police directly to Warri Correctional Prison. The Ekpan DPO, acting swiftly, stormed the prison with his team and arrested suspects. However, prison officials refused to produce one of the key suspects, except for an inmate already on death row who also participated in the robbery.
It was discovered that these criminals, while serving their sentences, had been leaving prison under the protection of corrupt officials, carrying out robberies, and returning as if nothing had happened. This case has once again underscored the urgent need for strict reforms in Nigeria’s correctional system, as unchecked corruption continues to fuel crime from behind bars.
Without immediate action to tighten security and weed out compromised officials, the nation’s prisons may continue to serve as breeding grounds for dangerous criminal enterprises, rather than centers for rehabilitation and justice.
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