NCoS removes prison officials after death row inmate goes live on TikTok from custody
The Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS, has removed the Officer-in-Charge of the Ibara Medium Custodial Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State, and two other senior officers following a security breach involving a death row inmate who allegedly hosted TikTok live sessions while in custody.
The inmate, identified as Elijah Oyebode, was sentenced to death by hanging in 2019 after an Osun State High Court found him guilty of murdering Rofiat Adebisi, a final-year student of Osun State University.
Court records showed that Oyebode gave different accounts of the incident during the trial before eventually denying any involvement in the killing.
The court, however, convicted him after considering medical evidence and other materials presented during the proceedings.
Reports obtained by PulseNets indicate that Oyebode allegedly remained active on TikTok despite being on death row. One of the accounts linked to him reportedly reached Level 20 gifting status, allowing him to receive monetary gifts during livestream sessions.
He was also reportedly connected to another TikTok account allegedly created to impersonate a well-known content creator and activist.
Confirming the development in a statement issued on Thursday, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Chief Superintendent of Corrections JN Osuji, described the incident as a serious violation of custodial regulations and a breach of established prison security protocols.
According to Osuji, preliminary investigations showed that the inmate was in unlawful possession of a prohibited mobile phone, which he allegedly used to access social media platforms while serving his sentence.
“The device has been recovered and secured as an exhibit for further investigation,” the statement said.
The NCoS further disclosed that Oyebode had been transferred to another custodial facility, where he was placed under enhanced security measures pending the completion of the investigation.
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The correctional service also confirmed that the Officer-in-Charge of the Ibara Medium Custodial Centre, together with two other principal officers, had been removed from their positions pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.
The disciplinary action comes amid renewed scrutiny of security and access control within custodial facilities, particularly following the alleged use of a prohibited mobile device by a death row inmate to participate in TikTok activities from prison.
