The Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS, has removed the Officer-in-Charge of the Ibara Medium Custodial Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State, and two other senior officers following a security breach involving a death row inmate who allegedly conducted TikTok live sessions from the prison.
The development followed revelations that the inmate, identified as Elijah Oyebode, allegedly had access to a mobile phone while in custody and used it to operate social media accounts, including TikTok.
The NCoS described the incident as a serious violation of its rules and prison security procedures, saying an investigation had commenced to determine how the inmate obtained and used the prohibited device inside the facility.
The Public Relations Officer of the service, Chief Superintendent of Corrections, JN Osuji, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Thursday.
Osuji said preliminary investigations showed that Oyebode unlawfully possessed a mobile phone, which he allegedly used to access social media platforms while serving his sentence.
According to him, the device had been recovered and secured as an exhibit as investigators work to establish how it entered the custodial centre and whether other people were involved.
“The device has been recovered and secured as an exhibit for further investigation,” the statement said.
The correctional service also announced that Oyebode had been moved to another custodial facility and placed under enhanced security measures pending the conclusion of the investigation.
The Officer-in-Charge of the Ibara Medium Custodial Centre and two other principal officers were also removed from their positions pending the outcome of the probe.
The NCoS did not state that the three officers were directly involved in helping the inmate obtain or use the phone. Their removal, according to the service, is part of the measures being taken while the circumstances surrounding the security breach are investigated.
Oyebode is a death row inmate who was sentenced to death by hanging in 2019 after an Osun State High Court found him guilty of murdering Rofiat Adebisi, a final-year student of Osun State University.
The case attracted attention during the trial because of the different accounts given by Oyebode over the circumstances surrounding the death of Adebisi.
Court records showed that he gave conflicting accounts before eventually denying involvement in the killing.
The court, however, found him guilty after considering medical evidence and other materials presented during the trial.
His death sentence placed him among inmates awaiting the execution of a capital punishment order, although death sentences in Nigeria are subject to the legal and constitutional processes governing their enforcement.
Despite his status as a death row inmate, reports indicate that Oyebode allegedly maintained an active presence on TikTok while in custody.
One of the accounts reportedly reached Level 20 gifting status, a feature that allows users involved in livestreams to receive virtual gifts from viewers. Such gifts can have monetary value under TikTok’s platform system.
The reports also linked Oyebode to another TikTok account allegedly created to impersonate a popular content creator and activist.
The claims have raised questions about the level of access available to inmates in custodial facilities, particularly the ability of prisoners to obtain mobile phones and use the internet without detection by prison authorities.
Mobile phones are generally regarded as prohibited items in custodial facilities because they can allow inmates to communicate secretly with people outside prison, access social media, coordinate illegal activities or interfere with investigations.
For correctional authorities, controlling access to unauthorised communication devices is therefore an important part of maintaining security inside prisons.
The latest incident has also drawn attention to the growing use of social media and livestreaming platforms in Nigeria, where TikTok has become increasingly popular among young people and content creators.
Livestreaming allows users to interact with audiences in real time and, in some cases, receive virtual gifts and other forms of financial support from viewers.
The alleged use of the platform by a death row inmate from inside a custodial centre is therefore unusual and has raised concerns about how the inmate was able to obtain a device and maintain an online presence without being detected.
The NCoS has not disclosed how long Oyebode allegedly had the phone or how he obtained it.
It also did not disclose whether any other inmates, prison officials or people outside the facility were involved in providing the device or helping him operate the social media accounts.
These issues are expected to form part of the ongoing investigation.
The removal of the three officers is also expected to allow investigators to examine the level of supervision at the Ibara facility and determine whether there was negligence or a failure to enforce existing security measures.
The correctional service has faced challenges over the years involving overcrowding, security, rehabilitation and the management of inmates across its facilities.
Nigeria’s custodial system houses inmates awaiting trial as well as convicted prisoners serving different sentences. It also holds inmates sentenced to death, who remain in custody while their cases go through the required legal processes.
The primary responsibility of the correctional service is not only to keep inmates in secure custody but also to provide rehabilitation and prepare eligible prisoners for reintegration into society.
However, security remains a major concern because breaches can have consequences beyond the walls of correctional facilities.
Unauthorised access to mobile phones, for instance, can make it difficult for authorities to monitor communications and prevent inmates from engaging in activities that may threaten public safety.
The Ibara incident has now placed the issue of digital access in prisons under renewed scrutiny.
The NCoS said the transfer of Oyebode to another facility and the imposition of enhanced security measures were necessary while the investigation continues.
The service is also expected to establish whether the alleged TikTok activity was carried out solely by Oyebode or whether others assisted him.
The investigation could determine whether additional disciplinary or legal action will be taken against any person found to have violated custodial regulations.
For now, the NCoS has stressed that the mobile phone recovered from Oyebode is being treated as an exhibit and that the investigation remains ongoing.
The removal of the Ibara prison chief and the two other senior officers highlights the seriousness with which the correctional authorities are treating the breach.
The incident also highlights the challenge faced by prison authorities in an age when smartphones and social media have made it possible for people to communicate and broadcast events almost instantly.