Inmates at the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS) Medium Security Custodial Centre in Keffi, Nasarawa State, recently staged a protest over alleged poor feeding conditions and the misappropriation of food donations. According to sources familiar with the situation, the protest, which took place in July, erupted when inmates discovered that some officials were removing bags of rice from the facility’s food store—rice that had been donated by a philanthropist as palliative relief for the prisoners.
The tension escalated after inmates witnessed prison personnel physically transporting the bags of rice out of the food store. Some officials were allegedly assaulted by the prisoners as the protest turned volatile, and the inmates began chanting protest songs. The situation was eventually brought under control by the intervention of the state controller and the zonal coordinator, who arrived at the scene to pacify the protesters.
A prison official who spoke to SaharaReporters anonymously detailed the series of events leading up to the protest. “About three months ago, a truck carrying approximately 500 bags of rice was donated to Keffi’s new correctional centre. Out of these, 200 bags were allegedly shared among the staff, leaving the remaining 300 for the inmates. However, senior prison officials, including one Mr. Shagba, Assistant Controller, advised the then officer in charge, DC Lamiya (retd), to take the remaining bags for themselves instead of using them to feed the prisoners,” the official explained.
Despite the officer-in-charge’s concerns that such actions could spark unrest among the inmates, Mr. Shagba reportedly reassured him and arranged for junior officers to secretly move the rice during the night. The rice was transported to the officer-in-charge’s quarters, but the inmates soon learned of this and launched a full-scale protest.
“The protest was so intense that the state controller and zonal coordinator had to intervene to calm the situation,” the source added. “As a result of the incident, several tough inmates were transferred to other correctional facilities both within and outside the state.”
Shortly after the protest, DC Lamiya retired, and Dr. Alhaji Thomas, a Deputy Controller of Corrections, was appointed as the new officer-in-charge. According to sources, shortly after Thomas took over, another truck of rice was donated to the facility. However, this time, Mr. Shagba allegedly advised the new officer not to store the rice in the food store to avoid a repeat of the recent protest. The rice was instead offloaded into the officer’s quarters.
An inmate, speaking on condition of anonymity, corroborated the story, accusing prison officials of consistently diverting food and materials donated by well-meaning individuals. He revealed that tensions escalated to the point where a jailbreak was narrowly averted, thanks to the swift intervention of the state controller.
When contacted by SaharaReporters for comments, Dr. Alhaji Thomas denied the allegations, stating, “All the allegations are lies. That is all I can tell you. If you are nearby, you can come to the prison, and we can investigate together.”
This protest in Keffi follows a similar incident at the Jos Correctional Centre in Plateau State, where inmates protested plans to reduce their food rations. In that case, the inmates refused to follow orders and boycotted their breakfast after learning about the proposed cut in food supply.
The recurring protests highlight growing discontent within the Nigerian correctional system over poor living conditions and alleged corruption, raising questions about the welfare of inmates in the country’s custodial facilities.
