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 hosted TikTok live sessions from prison.
The inmate, identified as Elijah Oyebode, was sentenced to death by hanging in 2019 after an Osun State High Court convicted him of murdering Rofiat Adebisi, a final-year student of Osun State University.
Court records showed that Oyebode gave conflicting accounts of the incident during his trial before eventually denying involvement in the murder.
However, the court found him guilty based on medical evidence and other materials presented before it.
Despite being on death row, Oyebode allegedly maintained an active presence on TikTok while in custody. One of the accounts linked to him reportedly reached Level 20 gifting status, allowing him to receive monetary gifts during livestreams.
He was also allegedly linked to another TikTok account reportedly created to impersonate a popular content creator and activist.
Confirming the development in a statement issued on Thursday, the NCoS Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Corrections JN Osuji, described the incident as a serious violation of custodial regulations and prison security protocols.
Osuji said preliminary investigations established that the inmate was unlawfully in possession of a prohibited mobile phone, which he allegedly used to access social media platforms while in custody.
According to the NCoS, the device has since been recovered and secured as an exhibit as investigations continue.
The correctional service also disclosed that Oyebode had been transferred to another custodial facility, where he would remain under enhanced security measures pending the conclusion of the investigation.
The NCoS added that the Officer-in-Charge of the Ibara Medium Custodial Centre and two other principal officers had been removed from their positions pending the outcome of the probe.
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