How prisoners carried out ₦4m robbery from inside jail
An investigation has revealed an alleged corruption case at the Warri Correctional Centre, where certain inmates, including one on death row, allegedly departed the facility to commit a robbery in Benin City, Edo State, and returned without detection.
The robbery occurred on January 3, 2025, when armed criminals allegedly attacked a young man, stole valuable items, and transferred ₦4 million from his account to an online bank. The victim initially reported the incident to the Edo State Police Command, but investigations moved slowly.
Later, the victim conducted a geo-analysis of the account, which led authorities to the Udu area of Delta State, prompting further investigation. A breakthrough came when police arrested the account holder linked to the suspicious transactions.
Suspect’s Confession
During questioning, the arrested woman revealed that she had opened the account at the request of her boyfriend, whom she met online.
She claimed he had told her that his phone had fallen into a river and needed a new account to receive funds. She was also instructed to withdraw large sums and transfer money to multiple accounts. She stated that she was unaware the money was connected to a robbery.
She explained, “I met him online, and we started talking. He told me he worked offshore and had many staff under him. Early in January, he told me his phone fell into a river but was expecting money and asked me to open a bank account. Later, he sent a lady to collect the ATM card from me. On January 4, I received an alert of ₦4 million, and he sent me instructions to transfer money, some ₦600,000, some ₦1.5 million, some ₦1 million, and so on.”
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Link to Warri PrisonFurther investigations led police to the Warri Correctional Facility, where they traced the robbery operation to several inmates. When police arrived at the prison to identify the suspects, they allegedly faced resistance from some officials, who initially refused to produce them.
Despite this, one inmate, a death row prisoner, was eventually handed over and reportedly admitted to participating in the robbery.
A senior security official in Delta State confirmed the allegations, stating that some prison officials were accused of collecting bribes to allow inmates to leave the facility for criminal activities and return without raising suspicion.
He said, “A young man was robbed in Benin on January 3, 2025. His valuables were stolen, and ₦4 million was transferred to an online bank account. Initially, the Edo State Police Command made little progress in identifying the attackers. However, after hearing about the investigative success of some officers, the victim decided to take the case to Ekpan Police Station.”
He continued, “The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) arrested the account holder, who confessed that her boyfriend owned the account. Advanced analysis of the transactions led investigators to Warri prison.
When officers stormed the facility, one of the suspects recognized a key accomplice, but the prison officials refused to produce him. Only one inmate, a death row prisoner who was involved in the robbery, was handed over to the police.”
Concerns Over Prison Corruption
The official expressed concerns over alleged corruption within the correctional system, saying, “What happened is that these inmates left the prison, committed a robbery in Benin, and returned as if nothing happened. Some correctional officers allegedly take bribes to allow criminals to go out, carry out crimes, and return.”
Following public pressure, additional suspects were later handed over to the police. A security source stated, “This morning, after much pressure, the prison officials called the police to come and arrest the remaining three suspects.
What kind of system allows death row inmates to leave, rob, and return to prison while living comfortably? If we don’t fix this, we have failed as a society.”
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the Delta State Police Command was contacted for a response but had not provided any statement at the time of this report.
The case has sparked public outrage, with many calling for urgent reforms within the correctional system to prevent further abuses.
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