Charles Okah, a Nigerian serving a life sentence for his role in the 2010 Independence Day bombing, has made shocking allegations of corruption within the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and the Borno State judiciary.
In a letter addressed to the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Okah claims that senior NCoS officers and corrupt judiciary members have been forging and altering conviction warrants to unlawfully release inmates.
According to Okah, this corrupt scheme has been ongoing for years, allowing numerous prisoners to evade justice and secure early release without serving their full sentences.
He alleges that the illicit network involves key offices such as the Records Office, Intelligence Office, Gate Office, and senior prison officials, all of whom profit from the scheme.
Okah’s allegations are based on his personal experience, where he discovered the racket while trying to assist a juvenile inmate in paying a court fine.
Instead, an NCoS officer offered to secure the boy’s release for half the fine amount. Okah reported the corruption to high-ranking prison officials, but his concerns were ignored.
The letter highlights several instances of corruption, including the case of Abdullahi Idris, an inmate who paid to have four months shaved off his sentence.
Okah also mentions two men who were sentenced to 21 years in prison for engaging in unnatural acts with a little boy but were released after procuring forged warrants for N5 million naira each.
