‘They’re preparing for him badly’— Kuje officials allegedly plot against Sowore ahead of possible remand

Sources inside the Kuje Correctional Centre have alleged that officials held emergency meetings following a SaharaReporters exposé on prison conditions, during which they allegedly discussed plans to target rights activist Omoyele Sowore if he is remanded there following his bail revocation

If the walls of Nigeria’s Kuje Correctional Centre could talk, what they’d say is deeply alarming. And now, sources inside the facility are speaking — and what they’re alleging is chilling.

Multiple sources told SaharaReporters that shortly after the outlet published an exclusive report on the death of Rwandan national Benjamin Relasss inside Kuje, officials convened an emergency meeting to discuss the growing public attention surrounding conditions inside the facility, covering the Rwandan’s death, a critically ill inmate recently transferred to hospital, and concerns about information leaks.

The sick inmate’s situation exposes a grim reality. “The sick inmate, who has about five months left to complete his sentence, has now been taken out of the facility to the hospital. He was already in a very critical condition. However, he may survive, but his survival now depends on who will finance his treatment because, in Nigeria, without money, there is usually no treatment in hospitals,” one source said.

The cover-up allegations run deeper. “Before the panel arrived, they moved the sick inmate out,” another source alleged, adding that prison management directed fellow inmates to fund the patient’s care themselves. “They asked inmates to contribute money to buy diapers for the sick man. The inmates contributed ₦15,000 for the diapers.”

Most alarming, however, were the alleged discussions about Sowore. Sowore’s bail was revoked on June 16, 2026, by Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja, stemming from his August 2025 social media post calling President Tinubu a “criminal.” “They discussed a plan because they heard Sowore’s bail has been revoked. They are preparing for him badly if he is brought here,” a source warned.