The Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS, has sacked the Officer-in-Charge of the Ibara Medium Custodial Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State, alongside two other senior officers over a major security breach.
The disciplinary action followed revelations that a death row inmate, Elijah Oyebode, allegedly ran active TikTok livestreams from inside the facility and even received monetary gifts from viewers.
Oyebode was sentenced to death by hanging in 2019 by an Osun State High Court for the murder of Rofiat Adebisi, a final-year student of Osun State University.
According to court records, the convict gave conflicting accounts during trial before denying involvement. He was however found guilty based on medical evidence and other materials tendered in court.
Despite being on death row, Oyebode allegedly maintained at least two TikTok accounts. One of the accounts reportedly attained “Level 20” gifting status, a tier that allows users to receive gifts and money during livestreams.
He was also linked to another account allegedly created to impersonate a popular content creator and activist.
Confirming the incident in a statement on Thursday, the NCoS Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Corrections, JN Osuji, described it as “a serious violation of custodial regulations and a breach of prison security protocols.”
Osuji said preliminary investigations showed that the inmate was in unlawful possession of a mobile phone, which he used to access social media while in custody.
“The device has been recovered and secured as an exhibit for further investigation,” Osuji stated.
The service said Oyebode has since been transferred to another custodial centre and placed under stricter security surveillance pending the conclusion of investigations.
It added that the Officer-in-Charge of Ibara Medium Custodial Centre and two other principal officers have been removed from their posts pending the outcome of the probe.
The NCoS assured that it remains committed to upholding discipline and security standards across all custodial facilities nationwide.
The incident has raised fresh questions about phone smuggling and oversight in Nigerian prisons, particularly regarding high-risk inmates.
