A convicted armed robber, Haruna Ayo, has shocked many after he was seen processing a passport and visa at the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) office in Lagos.
Now, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has launched a full-scale investigation into how that happened.
The bizarre incident took place on Wednesday, May 19, when warders from the Kirikiri Maximum Security Custodial Centre in Apapa transported Ayo to the NIS passport office in FESTAC Town under questionable circumstances, according to Punch.
Ayo, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for armed robbery, later reduced to a 21-year term, was reportedly due for release on October 11, 2025.
The report also indicated that on the day of the incident, he had been among five inmates selected to perform menial tasks at the residence of the officer in charge of the custodial facility.
During the outing, a subordinate officer, allegedly acting on orders from a superior, instructed the supervising warder to hand Ayo over to him.
He was then taken to the passport office, where immigration officers grew suspicious.
“While waiting to be attended to, the warder escorting him became impatient and said, ‘I need to take him back to the cell.’
“That statement triggered alarm among immigration officials, who detained both the inmate and the officer and escalated the matter,” a source told the publication.
The Nigeria Immigration Service reported the case to the NCoS Lagos Command at Alagbon.
As a result, at least two correctional officers, including one identified as Femi, have been suspended.
“The real culprits are not being punished. This is a system issue, and many people are involved,” the source lamented.
Further investigation revealed that Ayo had been using medical appointments as a cover to secretly process travel documents. One official disclosed that he had claimed to suffer from a health issue requiring treatment at a hospital near FESTAC, a claim now under scrutiny.
“Three separate medical evaluations had already confirmed that he was fit.
“He exploited this loophole to move around freely. The hospital in question is also being investigated for possible complicity.”
