Civil rights activist, Mr Agba Jalingo, has claimed that certain officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service engage in the sale of prison cell spaces to affluent inmates for as much as N300,000.
Jalingo made the allegation during a two-day Investigative and Accountability Journalism Masterclass organised by the Agba Jalingo Foundation in Calabar, stating that the practice reflects the deep-rooted corruption within the country’s correctional facilities.
“I am saying emphatically that some prison officials across the country sell cell spaces to richer inmates,” he said. “Some charge N250,000, N300,000 or more. I know this because I spent time there and saw how it works.”
The journalist and human rights advocate, who was previously detained at the Afokang Federal Correctional Centre in Calabar, described his experience as a revealing encounter that exposed the extent of corruption within the prison system.
According to him, many inmates are unjustly detained or have shown good behaviour over time but remain imprisoned because they cannot afford legal assistance or pay bribes.
He explained that his recent plea to Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State to show leniency to such inmates stemmed from his personal experiences with them during his detention.
“While I was in Afokang, I took down the names of several inmates who were either wrongly imprisoned or serving sentences for very minor offences. I promised to fight for them when I regained freedom,” Jalingo recalled.
He expressed satisfaction that Governor Otu responded positively to his appeal by granting amnesty to 54 inmates of the Afokang facility, describing the decision as an act of true compassion.
“Before my birthday, I wrote to Governor Otu, asking him to extend mercy to deserving inmates. I must say he surprised me positively by acting on that appeal and releasing 54 of them,” Jalingo said.
The activist urged the authorities of the Nigerian Correctional Service to investigate and eliminate corrupt practices among their officials to uphold justice and dignity for all inmates, regardless of their financial or social status.
