The Nigerian Correctional Service(NCoS) has reprimanded the Officer-in-Charge of the Ibara Medium Custodial Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State, and two other senior officers, over a death row inmate who allegedly conducted TikTok live sessions from the prison.
The inmate, Elijah Oyebode, was sentenced to death by hanging in 2019 after an Osun State High Court convicted him of the murder of Rofiat Adebisi, a final-year student of Osun State University.
Oyebode, despite being on death row, allegedly maintained an active presence on TikTok, where one of his accounts reportedly attained Level 20 gifting status, enabling him to receive monetary gifts during livestreams.
He was also allegedly linked to another TikTok account created to impersonate a popular content creator and activist.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued on Thursday, the spokesperson for the NCoS, Chief Superintendent of Corrections, J.N Osuji.
Osuji described the incident as a serious violation of custodial regulations and a breach of prison security protocols.
He said early investigations revealed that the inmate unlawfully possessed a prohibited mobile phone, which he used to access social media platforms while in custody.
“The device has been recovered and secured as an exhibit for further investigation,” he said.
Osuji disclosed that Oyebode has been transferred to another custodial facility and placed under enhanced security measures pending the conclusion of investigations.
It 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 ongoing investigation.
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