Human rights activist and journalist, Agba Jalingo, has alleged that officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) are selling prison cell spaces to wealthy inmates for as much as ₦300,000.
Jalingo, who made the claim in Calabar during a two-day Investigative and Accountability Journalism Masterclass organised by the Agba Jalingo Foundation, described the act as one of the most disturbing forms of corruption taking place in correctional facilities across the country.
“I am saying emphatically that some prison officials across the country sell cell spaces to richer inmates,” he stated. “Some charge ₦250,000, ₦300,000 or more. I know this because I spent time there and saw how it works.”
The activist, who was formerly held at the Afokang Federal Correctional Centre in Cross River State, said his detention exposed him to the depth of injustice and extortion within the prison system.
According to him, many inmates are languishing in custody despite being of good conduct or victims of wrongful imprisonment, simply because they cannot afford legal fees or pay bribes demanded by some officials.
“While in Afokang, I documented the names of inmates who were wrongly jailed or serving time for very minor offences,” he said. “I promised to fight for them when I regained my freedom.”
Jalingo commended Governor Bassey Otu for granting amnesty to 54 inmates of the facility following his appeal.
“Before my birthday, I wrote to Governor Otu urging him to show mercy to deserving inmates. He surprised me by acting on that request and releasing 54 of them,” he said, describing the gesture as compassionate.
He called on the authorities of the Correctional Service to urgently investigate and stamp out corruption in prisons to ensure fairness and human dignity for all inmates, regardless of their social or economic status.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Correctional Service had not responded to enquiries on the allegation.
Rights groups and anti-corruption advocates have repeatedly accused prison administrators of extorting inmates, selling privileges and maintaining preferential treatment for wealthy detainees — claims the authorities have consistently denied.
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