EXCLUSIVE: Nigerian Authorities Pardon Prison Official Who Accompanied Inmate ‘To Have Sex With Girlfriend’, Sack Alleged Whistleblower

The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board has dismissed an Assistant Superintendent of Corrections assigned to the Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC) in Afikpo, Ebonyi State, Efe Onakpoya for alleged whistleblowing.

SaharaReporters learnt that Efe was sacked for exposing how a colleague, Ogbule Samuel Obinna, who took an inmate out of the Ebonyi facility illegally to see his girlfriend for conjugal visit.

In a document dated July 21st, 2025 released by the board, the dismissed officer was accused of “making a malicious allegation that the inmate was taken out for conjugal intimacy with lover”.

He was subsequently dismissed from service.

While the document confirmed that Obinna illegally took the inmate out of the facility to meet his girlfriend, he was however pardoned and directed to be posted out of the command.

“NEGLIGENCE OF DUTY BY UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT OF PERMITTING AN LO 362 UNQUALIFIED INMATE-CONVICTED MALE (CM) IBUCHI OKORO EZE, OUT OF JULY MSCC AFIKPO TO THE BARRACKS AND STAFF CLUB WHICH LED TO THE PURPORTED CONJUGAL RELATION WITH HIS LOVER ON 14TH SEPTEMBER 2024,” part of the document about Obinna read.

“LOSS OF ONE YEAR SENIORITY WEF 11th JULY, 2025, WRITTEN WARNING AND POSTING OUT OF COMMAND AT NO COST TO THE SERVICE.”

In 2024, SaharaReporters exclusively reported how the pardoned official illegally took an inmate out of the facility to see his girlfriend for a conjugal visit.

According to the report, the inmate identified as Ibuchi Okoro Eze was sentenced to prison after he was convicted of rape. 

He was taken out of the facility on Saturday, September 14, 2024 to a bar managed by his girlfriend.

A picture of Ibuchi’s sitting at his lover’s bar where he was taken to was also published by SaharaReporters.

“A rapist inmate that still has more than a year in here was taken outside the prison to meet his girlfriend for conjugal visit,” a source had told SaharaReporters.

“It happened on September 14 outside the yard. His name is Ibuchi and the bar is also here in Afikpo. This wasn’t the first time something like this would happen, that inmates would be allowed to go out of the facility illegally. Some even go to clubs and spend the night out of the facility.

“Only Afikpo people who were recruited and have stayed in this facility all their lives are allowed to do this dirty work with them, so that their secret will not be revealed.

“There are warders who collect money from these inmates to allow them to leave the facility anytime they want. 

“For Ibuchi, after paying them that day, they forced some junior officers to take him outside the facility to meet his girlfriend. She has a bar she’s managing not too far from the prison. 

“When they got there, he told them he wanted to have sex with the lady and that he should be allowed to see her privately in a room. One of the personnel kicked against it but Ibuchi called a superior officer who said he should be allowed but warned the officers to be at alert and ensure his return to prison.”

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