Delta, Sokoto other prisons at risk of collapse, says Panel

An Independent Investigative Panel set up by the Federal Government to investigate allegations of corruption and human rights abuses within the correctional system has raised the alarm over what it described as worsening security risks and severe infrastructural decay in many custodial centres across the country, including those in Delta, Edo, Sokoto, Kaduna and other states.

The findings were contained in the panel’s final report submitted to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on June 3, 2026, and obtained by our correspondent on Friday.

The panel, inaugurated on September 30, 2024, was mandated to investigate the allegations and recommend reforms.

It conducted assessments of 86 custodial facilities across 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory, alongside public hearings and a study mission to the Republic of Türkiye.

Field visits were carried out between late 2024 and mid-2025 in Abia, Anambra, Adamawa, Edo, Kano, Lagos, Plateau, FCT, Nasarawa, Akwa Ibom, Kaduna, Delta, Rivers, Sokoto, Borno, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Oyo, Kwara, Ondo and Ogun states.

The report paints a bleak picture of ageing infrastructure, inadequate facilities and weak logistical support, which it says continue to undermine humane custody and rehabilitation efforts.

It noted that, “Ageing infrastructure, inadequate facilities, and limited logistical support continue to undermine humane custody and rehabilitative programming.”

According to the panel, many correctional buildings date back to the 1919–1950 era, with widespread cases of leaking roofs, cracked walls and broken sewage systems.

It further observed that “some of the correctional centres, including some Maximum Security Centres, lack watchtowers, double perimeter fences and other security facilities in contravention of the provisions of Section 28 of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act (2019), which provides for devices to protect, control and safeguard correctional activities, including observatory towers, double perimeter walls, closed-circuit television, body scanners, e-monitoring devices, electrically activated alarm systems and other instruments of restraint.”

In Edo State, the panel highlighted that custodial facilities in rural areas, particularly the Ubiaja Correctional Centre, consist of colonial-era structures requiring “immediate structural remediation.”

In Delta State, it found that ante-colonial facilities such as Ogwashi-Uku Correctional Centre, established in 1905, and Warri Correctional Centre, established in 1910, show “critical structural deterioration.”

The situation in Sokoto State was described as equally concerning, with the report stating that “dilapidated roofing at the Sokoto Correctional Centre culminates in the saturation of inmate dormitories during precipitation, exacerbating the incidence of respiratory tract infections.”

In Enugu State, the Nsukka Correctional Centre was said to exhibit “significant structural failure,” while the Oji-River Correctional Centre, despite its relatively modern design, has been without electricity for more than four months.

The report noted that the 3,000-capacity Janguza Correctional Centre in Kano State has remained partially idle for eight years due to “minor” maintenance issues, even as surrounding facilities remain overcrowded.

The panel also reported that in Imo State, dormitories and storage units at the Owerri and Okigwe Correctional Centres suffer from “perforated and dilapidated roofing.”

In Ondo State, the Okitipupa Correctional Centre was described as severely dilapidated following infrastructural vandalism during the 2020 #EndSARS unrest.

The report stated that inmates “lack uniforms and sleep on bare floors in congested cells because several blocks remain unconstructed.”

Security vulnerabilities were also highlighted in Kaduna State, where the Kujama Farm Centre was found to lack a perimeter fence, exposing it to armed banditry and coordinated attacks. The report added that “a staff member was killed in a recent attack.”

In Kwara State, the Oke-Kura facility was said to lack an official watchtower and instead relies on an adjacent private structure for surveillance.

The panel also observed that both entrance gates were open simultaneously during staff handover, raising concerns about operational lapses.

Across multiple facilities, the report further warned that many correctional centres lack reliable electricity, worsening living conditions and weakening operational efficiency.

The panel concluded that urgent intervention is required to prevent further deterioration of custodial infrastructure and address rising security vulnerabilities across the country’s correctional system.

Meanwhile, in 2025, President Bola Tinubu approved the relocation of 29 correctional centres nationwide as part of broader efforts to modernise the country’s custodial infrastructure.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, reaffirmed that the plan aims to improve conditions for both inmates and staff and address longstanding structural challenges within the correctional system.