The Nigeria Correctional Service has dismissed a senior officer, Assistant Superintendent of Corrections (ASC I), Efe Onakpoya, for taking unauthorized photographs of an inmate and publishing them on the internet, in what the Service described as a gross violation of its code of conduct.
The Service’s spokesperson, Abubakar Umar, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, debunking widespread claims that Onakpoya was punished for exposing alleged misconduct involving an inmate being released for conjugal purposes.
According to the statement, Onakpoya, who was attached to the Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC) in Afikpo, Ebonyi State, was found guilty of unethical conduct after a thorough internal disciplinary investigation.
“The dismissed officer, ASC I Efe Onakpoya, with service number 57790, was sanctioned for taking unauthorized pictures of an inmate, Ibuchi Okoro Eze, within the barracks and circulating the images online, in clear contravention of service rules,” Umar said.
Umar added that the Service found the officer’s conduct “unbecoming of a public officer,” further noting that Onakpoya made “malicious allegations” suggesting the Service had allowed an inmate to be released for a romantic engagement outside the facility — a claim the authorities insist is false and damaging.
He said, “The Service wishes to categorically state that the report alleging that an inmate was taken out for conjugal purposes while the whistleblower was punished is misleading and intended to tarnish the image of the Nigerian Correctional Service.”
Umar emphasized that the NCoS operates with a high standard of integrity and discipline and would not condone any action that undermines its mission.
“The Nigerian Correctional Service remains committed to professionalism and will continue to enforce discipline among its ranks,” he stated.
The incident has sparked debate online, with some Nigerians calling for greater transparency within the correctional system, while others accuse the dismissed officer of breaching confidentiality and service ethics.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the Service is working to tighten its operational protocols to prevent future breaches and protect the integrity of custodial operations across the country.
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