Civil rights activist and journalist Agba Jalingo has accused officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) of engaging in corrupt practices by selling prison cell spaces to affluent inmates for as much as ₦300,000.
Jalingo made the revelation during a two-day Investigative and Accountability Journalism Masterclass organised by the Agba Jalingo Foundation in Calabar.
“I am saying emphatically that some prison officials across the country sell cell spaces to richer inmates,” Jalingo said. “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 detained at the Afokang Federal Correctional Centre in Calabar, described the experience as an eye-opener that exposed deep-seated corruption within Nigeria’s correctional system.
He noted that several inmates remain unjustly imprisoned — either due to lack of legal representation or inability to pay bribes — despite demonstrating good conduct or being eligible for release.
Jalingo also recounted how his personal experience inspired him to advocate for their freedom. “While I was in Afokang, I took down the names of several inmates who were wrongly imprisoned or serving sentences for very minor offences. I promised to fight for them when I regained freedom,” he said.
He commended Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu for granting amnesty to 54 inmates of the Afokang facility following his appeal, describing the gesture as “an act of genuine 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 added.
He urged the Nigerian Correctional Service to investigate and end corrupt practices within its ranks to ensure fairness, transparency, and dignity for all inmates — regardless of class or financial standing.