No fewer than 150 inmates have been transferred from Okere Correctional Facility in Warri South, Delta State, to various prisons in northern Nigeria, following an ongoing investigation into allegations that some prisoners were leaving the facility to commit crimes.
The development comes after Sahara Reporters exposed widespread corruption, fraud, and blackmail within the prison, revealing that inmates had access to mobile phones, bank accounts, and private meeting spaces to facilitate illegal activities.
Reports indicate that the facility had become a hub for organized crime, prompting authorities to take swift action to address security concerns and prevent further criminal operations from being orchestrated from within the prison.
The transfer of inmates is part of broader efforts to restore discipline and accountability within the Nigerian correctional system.
One victim unknowingly became romantically involved with an inmate, Perez Ekiyor, after meeting him on Facebook in 2019. She opened a bank account for him and later discovered large sums of money being deposited. When she tried to end the relationship, he retaliated by leaking their private conversations and explicit photos online.
Another woman nearly fell for a similar scam in 2023 when an inmate posing as a worker in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, built an emotional connection with her and later attempted to extort ₦200,000.