Two suspects arrested with a stolen vehicle have alleged that an inmate serving a jail term in Bauchi correctional centre coordinated the sale of stolen vehicles from inside the prison.
The suspects, who made the claims during interrogation at the Bauchi Metro Police Division, alleged that the mastermind, identified only as ‘Awwalu Teacher,’ coordinated their criminal activities from within the prison.
They claimed they first met ‘Awwalu Teacher’ while they were previously incarcerated in 2021, alleging that he recruited and trained them before establishing a vehicle theft syndicate, which he continued to direct from the correctional facility.
The prime suspect, Mohammed Isma’il, alleged that after stealing a vehicle, he would contact ‘Teacher’ using a mobile phone.
According to him, the inmate would then contact prospective buyers, negotiate the sale and facilitate the transaction.
Isma’il further alleged that the syndicate had successfully sold two stolen vehicles, with the inmate receiving between N50,000 and N100,000 from each transaction through electronic transfers.
He said the first stolen vehicle was taken to Bara, a town on the Bauchi-Gombe border, where it was delivered to a buyer.
He added that they were negotiating the sale of a second stolen vehicle when police intercepted them.
Another suspect, Abubakar, corroborated the account, claiming he also met ‘Teacher’ while in custody and later purchased one of the stolen vehicles through the inmate’s coordination.
How police arrested the syndicate
Confirming the arrests, the spokesperson of the Bauchi State Police Command, SP Nafiu Habib, said the command received a report on June 29, 2026, about a stolen green Opel Vectra.
‘Acting on credible intelligence, the Divisional Police Officer of ‘E’ Division intercepted the vehicle at Dorawan Dillalai. Follow-up operations in Gombe State led to the arrest of two additional suspects, Abubakar Musa and Usman Abubakar,’ Habib said.
When asked about the allegations that an inmate was using mobile phones to coordinate criminal activities from inside the correctional facility, Habib said the police could not comment on the operations of the Nigerian Correctional Service and referred inquiries to the agency.
Responding to the claims, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Bauchi State Command, DSC A.U. Tata, dismissed the allegation.
‘We don’t have any inmate bearing that name in our facility,’ he said.
However, senior officials within the service acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations, stressing that any officer found aiding inmates to communicate illegally or engage in criminal activities would face immediate dismissal and prosecution.
Our correspondent reports that the allegations have reignited concerns over security lapses and corruption within Nigeria’s correctional centres.
Security sources said the smuggling of mobile phones into correctional facilities and the alleged compromise of some personnel remain major vulnerabilities in the system.
‘Illegally, some inmates coordinate organised crime from correctional centres through smuggled mobile phones and the assistance of corrupt officials,’ a warder, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
‘By bribing some staff, inmates are able to obtain unauthorised communication devices or, in some cases, arrange illegal movements outside the facility. From inside the prison, they continue directing criminal syndicates operating outside,’ he said.
Warders also blamed chronic congestion and the large population of awaiting-trial inmates for creating conditions that make it easier for organised criminal groups to recruit new members within correctional facilities.
They recalled the 2021 riot at the Bauchi correctional centre, which investigators linked to an officer accused of smuggling mobile phones and illicit drugs to inmates, saying the incident remains a reference point whenever concerns about prison security are raised.
Although some observers believe the suspects may have fabricated the allegations in an attempt to deflect responsibility or seek leniency, security experts insist the Bauchi State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service should thoroughly investigate the claims.
They argued that even if the allegations eventually prove to be false, the case has once again highlighted the need for tighter security, stricter surveillance of inmates and stronger internal accountability mechanisms within correctional facilities across the country.