A Rwandan citizen, Benjamin Relasss, has reportedly died in custody at Abuja’s Kuje Correctional Centre while awaiting trial, with sources alleging medical neglect and demands for bribes before sick inmates could be referred for outside treatment.
A Rwandan citizen detained in Abuja’s Kuje Correctional Centre is dead — and sources say it didn’t have to happen this way.
According to Sahara Reporters, Benjamin Relasss reportedly died on Tuesday morning while awaiting trial in a financial-related case before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja. According to sources familiar with the matter, Relasss had been locked up since 2023 after being denied bail — reportedly because he wasn’t a Nigerian citizen.
The allegations go further, painting a grim picture of life inside Kuje. Sources claim inmates needing specialist medical care outside the facility routinely struggle to get referrals, with some officials allegedly demanding hefty bribes before approving hospital transfers — this despite Kuje reportedly lacking the equipment and specialists to treat certain conditions in-house.
“Benjamin Relasss, a Rwandan citizen died inside Kuje Prison this morning (Tuesday) due to outright neglect and care by an overambitious and money mongering officer in the facility,” one source said, adding that the officer in question “demands huge cash from inmates who are sick before allowing the patient to be recommended to hospitals outside because the Kuje facility lacks adequate equipment and medical specialists.”
Another source put it plainly: “Today, the Rwandan citizen Benjamin Relasss is dead while awaiting trial on a financial-related case before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja.”
No official statement from the Nigerian Correctional Service has yet addressed the allegations.
NEWS NOW:
