NEWISSUES
GRAND CORRUPTION SCANDAL AT KUJE CORRECTIONAL CENTRE EXPOSED, MINISTER OF INTERIOR AND HUMAN RIGHTS RADIO (BERKETE FAMILY) URGED TO URGENTLY INVESTIGATE
By Sheriff Abass
Investigation has recently revealed that a lot of rotten corrupt practices has been going on at Kuje correctional center that is still unknown to authorities.
NEWISSUES investigation revealed that one Mr Kevin Illafoansi Ikechukwu (DCC), the recently suspended Officer in Charge of the Kuje Correctional facility, is said to have Collected over N44m in Bank to Bank transfers and physical cash (Dollar & Naira) from EX Major General Umoru M Mohammed through the General's Son, and from othe inmates in the facility. This information has been confirmed by the ex-General, and some staffers of Kuje Prison.
The General has consistently maintained that he has even given Mr Kevin N3m to share to the staff of Kuje but he never shared the money. The General also said he sent money to the National Headquarters through Kevin for morale boosting to staff but again Kevin never delivered such monies, as such he is angry about the over N44m siphoned from him through his son by the prison official.
Ex-General U. M Mohammed according to our credible insider source at the National Headquarters of the Nigeria Correctional Service, (who claimed anonymity for fear or reprisal), was taken into the Kuje Correctional Facility on 2nd May 2024 and handed over to one Mr Peter Ogundele, the Records officer of the facility, without a proper detention warrant duly issued by the Nigerian Army. A letter signed on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff, was sent to accompany the ex-General to the Kuje facility. According to our source who had a glimpse of the letter, indicated that the letter states that the ex-General should be held until the Nigerian Army could provide a substantive and real warrant to legalize his detention.
For that transaction to get consummated, it was credibly reported that large sums of money (N25m) exchanged hands between the Military Lt Col who handed over the ex-General to Mr Peter Ogundele and Mr Kevin Ikechukwu. After the Army had paid and left the facility, the ex- Army General was taken to the office of Mr Kevin, where they both instantly asked him to provide cash (N500,000) to procure essentials, and he obliged. Mr Kevin was said to have informed him that the N500k was to be used in purchasing mattress because the service does not provide such items any more. He also said Mr Ogundele needed to dash out to buy a pillow, a rechargeable fan, bedsheet, 2 buckets and slippers.
A Senior Staff, who claimed anonymity was at the facility when the Major General UM Mohammed was remanded, even though he was an old staff of Kuje but not too long ago deployed to the FCT Command office, with others. He was on an assignment at the kuje Facility at the time the ex-Army General was brought into the facility in the evening. .
Our investigation further revealed that the General is at the time of releasing this information, yet to formally face the usual Admission board of the facility to officialize the process of his admission and stay, due to “a deficient warrant” used in accepting him at the facility. Admissions are carried out not more than 24 hours after a detainee is taken to the facility.
Mr Kevin is undoubtedly said to have collected large sums of monies from the General (with verifiable Bank transfer evidences, aside the numerous cash transactions in millions). The funds were usually forcibly made to be transferred from the General's Son (Name withheld) ostensibly to grease the palms of some DCG's whom Mr Kevin opined would facilitate Ex-General Mohammed's release owing to his deficient detention warrant.
The currencies involved are both in Naira and in Dollars. Gen Mohammed was said to always decline giving money for any favors but Kevin will coarsely make the General's son to release such funds, and he always transfer the funds into Kevin's account, just to ensure that his father is safe and alive.
Our sources flatly stated that, “ASK THE AUTHORITIES TO INVESTIGATE MR KEVIN'S ACCOUNT DETAILS AND OR ASK THE GENERAL TO MAKE HIS SON TO PRINT OUT THOSE TRANSFERS AND YOU WILL SEE THE TRANSFERS RUNNING INTO MILLIONS”. Cash were also brought to the General through staff of the facility and others while Kevin picks the funds with no questions asked
Further Information reaching us indicate that the General kept quite for this long, for fear that someone may be made to poison him while in custody, as such he refuses discussing the matter except with some officers very close to him (especially his townsmen). Some of these people have told NEWISSUES that they were prepared to testify under oath.
The public may recall when one Mr George Ubor, a renowned civil rights activist and whistle blower, who once had his network staged a peaceful protest at the gate of the National Headquarters of the Nigerian Correctional Service where he demanded for the immediate release of the ex-General in view of the facts on ground.
Mr Ubor knew how Mr Kevin had been collecting millions of Naira from not only the ex-General, but himself and many others, and how dirty Mr. Kevin and his collegues and partners have been when he himself was briefly detained and stayed next door to the ex-General's hospital cell, but he left after only few days. Mr. Ubor was a himself victim.
Senior officers working at the Kuje facility were recently directed by Mr Kevin not to ever go close to the General's cell and anyone seen would be transferred. He did that for fear that he may be exposed by the General to the officers. He said that in the presence of all the entire staff of Kuje prison during their Friday lectures, and even placed registers at the entrance to where the General is kept, so that names could be taken of those who try to see ex-Major General Mohammed. Mr. Mohammed is serving a seven year jail term for stealing and misappropriation of fund from the Nigerian Army Property Limited where he was Managing Director when General Buratai (rtd) was Chief of Army.
These monies are just a tip of the iceberg as other inmates have now started coming out to talk. More of Mr Kevin's atrocities are only just emerging, a grounded insider source said that he (Kevin with two others) have been using some officers especially through the office of the chief warder (Sarki), to be collecting monies between N20,000 to N1,500,000 for various accommodations and such other unprofessional expenses. For example, a tattered mattress to sleep on the floor costs N15,000 while to sleep on a six by three spring bed with the same mattress costs between N30,000 to N50,000 Naira.
So the more the number of detainees, the more the money keeps flowing in. Another example is that a single cell at a place they call CTU and some choice cells at Dormitory 3 and 4 attracts between N350,000 to N500,000 and so on and so forth. The Chief Warder and his men go round to collect such monies and hand over to Mr Ogundele for onward transmission to Kevin, or sometimes Kevin and Ogundele take the monies themselves
When information reached Kuje of Mr Kevin's suspension, the inmates celebrated their freedom from the clutches of terror. They celebrated his suspension delightfully with many according to our sources chanting that they have been liberated.
However, Mr. Kevin's suspension wouldn't change anything. The people taking over from him would soon continue the business after things calm down. Some of these abnormal ways of doing things in government establishments has been normalised.
