Scandal: Convicted inmate caught processing passport, visa in Lagos

Prison officers

The Nigerian Correctional Service has started investigation into the circumstances surrounding the movement of a robbery convict, Haruna Ayo, to a passport office in Lagos for processing of travel documents.

Saturday PUNCH exclusively gathered that the incident happened on Wednesday, May 19, 2025, when warders from the Kirikiri Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Apapa, moved the inmate to the Nigeria Immigration Service passport office at FESTAC Town under suspicious circumstances.

According to a credible source, Ayo was convicted for armed robbery and sentenced to life imprisonment, which was later reduced to 21 years on appeal and further reviewed downward after some consideration. He was due for release on October 11, 2025.

Our correspondent learnt that the inmate was among five convicts selected to do a menial job at the residence of the officer in charge of the custodial centre on the day of the incident.

During the outing, an orderly, who claimed to be acting on the instruction of another superior officer, told the supervising officer to release Ayo to him.

Our source disclosed that the inmate was subsequently transported to the passport office.

“However, while waiting to be attended to, the warder escorting him became impatient and said, ‘I need to take him back to the cell’.

“This raised suspicion among immigration officers, who then detained both the inmate and the warder and alerted their superiors,” the source added.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the NIS escalated the matter to the Lagos headquarters of the NCS, Alagbon.

Two officers were reportedly suspended over the incident.

The source identified one of the affected officers as one Femi.