Civil rights activist Agba Jalingo has accused officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service of selling cell spaces to wealthy inmates for up to N300,000, calling for urgent reforms.
Civil rights activist and journalist, Mr. Agba Jalingo, has alleged that some officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service sell cell spaces to affluent inmates for as much as N300,000.
Speaking during a two-day Investigative and Accountability Journalism Masterclass organised by the Agba Jalingo Foundation in Calabar, he said, “Some prison officials across the country sell cell spaces to richer inmates. Some charge N250,000, N300,000 or more. I know this because I spent time there and saw how it works.”
Jalingo, who was once detained at the Afokang Federal Correctional Centre, described his time there as an eye-opener to deep-rooted corruption in Nigeria’s prison system. He noted that many inmates remain unjustly incarcerated due to poverty and lack of legal aid.
The activist commended Governor Bassey Otu for granting amnesty to 54 inmates following his appeal, urging the Correctional Service to address corrupt practices and uphold fairness for all prisoners.