The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Delta State Command, has dismissed allegations that its officers are releasing inmates for “Omila operations,” a term suggesting involvement in robbery operations in the state.
The rebuttal is coming following rumors that wardens at Okere Prison in Warri were facilitating the release of prisoners, allowing them to participate in criminal operations before returning them to the facility.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Asaba, the Command’s spokesman, SC Allen Iloba, denied the claims, describing them as false and malicious.
The statement reads, “The attention of The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Delta State Command has been drawn to a purported online report with the above caption by an unreliable source “Warri Aproko II”, alleging that officers of the NCoS released inmates from the Medium Security Custodial Centres Warri to go for “Omila operation” (suggestive of Robbery Operation) and thereafter return them to the facility.
“The Command wishes to emphatically submit that this report making rounds on social media is false, unpatriotic and a vile figment of the imagination of the writer in its entirety, as it is fabricated to truncate the existing peace in Warri and maliciously drag the name of this reputable institution (NCoS) in the mud.
Following reports alleging that a 4-man gang of inmates at the Okere Custodial Centre in Warri, Delta State were involved in a recent robbery in Benin City, the Edo state capital, the federal government has ordered an immediate probe of officials. Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo in a statement on Tuesday directed an “immediate and comprehensive investigation into allegations of criminal activities within the Okere Correctional Centre, Warri, Delta State, which have recently been reported in the media”.
According to his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Babatunde Alao, the minister strongly condemned the alleged reprehensible behaviour and emphasized that any form of indiscipline and misconduct will be met with severe consequences.
“I will not allow indiscipline to fester under my nose. Any officer found wanting will face the full weight of the law. The leadership of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) must provide explanations,” Tunji-Ojo stated.
The Minister reiterated his commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the administration of justice within correctional service system.
“We take these allegations seriously and will not tolerate any form of misconduct within our correctional facilities,” he added.
The Minister called on the general public to provide any relevant information that may aid in the investigation.
Reports indicate that the robbery occurred on January 3, 2025, when some assailants stole valuable items from a young man and transferred N4 million to an online bank account during the incident.
The robbers were trailed to the custodial facility by policemen, but only one of the robbers who is on death row was reportedly released by prison officials.