Charles Okah, serving a life sentence for his involvement in the October 1, 2010, bombing in Abuja, has been placed in solitary confinement at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre in Maiduguri, Borno State. This action reportedly comes as retaliation for Okah’s revelations regarding corruption among senior Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) officers.
Sources confirmed that Okah’s confinement follows his exposure of a corruption network within the facility, where convicted inmates are allegedly released illegally through forged conviction warrants. The NCoS has denied Okah access to medication, family visits, and adequate food as a result of his whistleblowing.
Since March 16, 2025, Okah has been held under “protective custody,” which has effectively isolated him in violation of the United Nations’ Nelson Mandela Rules for the treatment of prisoners. Sources also revealed that Okah has been denied basic rights such as physical exercise, access to his books, and even food according to his doctor’s orders, with him surviving only on biscuits and water.
This is not the first time Okah has been placed in solitary confinement. In 2019, after exposing child sexual abuse in Maiduguri prison, Okah was confined for nearly two years. More recently, Okah uncovered how senior NCoS officers at the Maiduguri custodial centre had been involved in a scheme to forge conviction documents, allowing inmates to evade justice. Despite efforts by Okah to report the corruption, his concerns were disregarded, and he was subsequently punished.
In response to Okah’s exposé, multiple inmates who had paid for their early release are now demanding refunds from the corrupt officials. Allegedly, former NCoS Borno State Command Controller Abdullahi Mbaya and other officials have tried to obstruct justice by tampering with records in anticipation of external investigations.
Despite these setbacks, Okah remains steadfast in his commitment to exposing corruption, stating that no amount of persecution or threat of imprisonment will deter him from his mission. His ongoing legal and physical struggles have drawn attention to the need for greater accountability within Nigeria’s correctional system, as well as for proper treatment of inmates in line with international standards.
Saharareporters
