Ex-Skye Bank Chair Tunde Ayeni’s N120m wristwatch,wedding ring stolen inside Kuje Prison

Former Chairman of Skye Bank Plc, Tunde Ayeni, and suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, were allegedly robbed of high-value personal effects and cash by senior Nigerian Correctional Service officials during a chaotic raid at the Kuje Correctional Centre.

Senior officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service have been accused of robbing high-profile inmates of cash and luxury valuables during a aggressive tactical sweep at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja. Multiple internal sources within the facility revealed that the operation was spearheaded by top brass, including the Deputy Controller-General (DCG) of Operations alongside the officers directly in charge of the custodial center. The heavily armed contingent, clad in bulletproof vests and accompanied by Department of State Services (DSS) K-9 units, reportedly sparked widespread panic across the prison yard during what authorities described as a standard search operation, but which insiders allege devolved into undocumented looting.

Among the primary victims of the raid was the former Chairman of Skye Bank Plc, Tunde Ayeni, who was reportedly stripped of significant personal property under the guise of the security inspection. According to prison insiders, the senior officers targeted the detained financier, confiscating his wedding band and a high-end luxury wristwatch with an estimated valuation exceeding ₦120 million without issuing any formal seizure receipts. In a parallel development during the same exercise, suspended former Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, who is also being remanded at the Abuja facility, was allegedly relieved of approximately ₦2 million in cash by the invading team.

The incident has generated severe operational tension and resentment within the Kuje Correctional Centre, with inmates openly accusing the leadership of institutional intimidation, extortion, and gross abuse of power. Sources close to the administration indicate that the financial documentation for items seized during the raid remains non-existent, prompting allegations that the operation was used as a cover for personal enrichment. Outraged by the conduct of the custodial handlers, an insider familiar with the immediate fallout stated: “One of the former chairmen of Skye Bank in Kuje prison was searched and robbed of his wedding ring and wristwatch worth over N120 million by officers in charge of Kuje prison. Abba Kyari was also robbed of his money, about N2 million, by the same officers. They came into the yard with DSS dogs and bulletproof vests during the operation.”

READ THE FULL STORY IN SAHARA REPORTERS