Bomb Explosion Reportedly Rocks Maiduguri Prison

An explosion reportedly rocked the Maximum Security Custodial Centre (MaSCC) in Maiduguri on Sunday night, April 20, 2025, around 9 pm, sparking a fire in the solitary confinement cell where prominent detainee Charles Okah has been held since mid-March.

Initial reports from within the prison suggest that the explosion may have been caused by a bomb that was thrown into Okah’s cell through the window bars. Eyewitnesses reported heavy smoke billowing from the cell, where Okah has been confined since March 16, 2025. This incident follows Okah’s open letter to Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi-Ojo, which exposed widespread corruption within two custodial centres in Maiduguri.

According to sources at the scene, Okah was heard coughing and choking in the thickening smoke, with his screams echoing throughout the compound. He reportedly shouted that the explosive device had been thrown into his cell, igniting the fire that consumed his quarters.

At the time of reporting, no rescue efforts were underway. Inside sources revealed to SaharaReporters that the prison’s security regulations require a long bureaucratic process to open a cell after hours, leaving Okah’s fate uncertain as the fire continues to spread.

“Shockingly, not a single fire extinguisher could be found anywhere within the prison compound,” said one source. “Similarly, night-duty officers seemed absent. Many inmates with medical conditions, such as asthma, risk dying before help could arrive at dawn.”

The growing fire, combined with the lack of medical and security response, has heightened fears among inmates of a wider crisis. Some inmates, concerned about their safety, may be forced to break open their cell doors to escape the smoke and flames.

Prison officials are also concerned about the possibility of a prison break if the fire is not contained quickly. The lack of immediate response has left the situation tense, with authorities under increasing pressure.

SaharaReporters attempted to reach Abubakar Umar, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, for comment but was unsuccessful. Phone calls and text messages to him went unanswered.

Charles Okah, serving a life sentence for his role in the 2010 Independence Day bombing near Eagle Square in Abuja and a bombing in Warri, Delta State, on March 15, 2010, remains a controversial figure, and his situation at the prison has raised concerns about the safety and security of high-profile detainees in Nigeria’s correctional facilities.