The Eket Correctional Centre in Akwa Ibom State has been described by sources within the facility as a place where government critics and other inmates can be left to languish for years without trial or meaningful judicial intervention.
An inspection of the facility by reporters on September 2, 2026, by reporters revealed a severely dilapidated centre, with crumbling buildings, abandoned vehicles and a lack of basic facilities for the rehabilitation and welfare of inmates.
But beyond the physical decay, sources inside the centre alleged that the facility is also being used to punish people considered critical of the government.
“When they want to deal with you, they bring you to Eket and abandon you here,” one correctional officer said.
“No trial, no transfer, nothing. They hope you die here.”
The officer spoke on condition of anonymity.
The allegation comes as at least 49 inmates at the centre were said to have been awaiting trial for more than 10 years.
According to sources, some of the inmates have no case files, while others were arrested over minor offences or for activism.
The prolonged detention, the sources alleged, is facilitated by a justice system in which cases are repeatedly adjourned.
Sources further alleged that compromised court officials contribute to the delays, leaving inmates stranded in custody without a clear timeline for the resolution of their cases.
The Nigerian Prisons Service was renamed the Nigerian Correctional Service as part of a broader shift from a system focused primarily on punishment and confinement to one centred on rehabilitation and reintegration. But the conditions observed at Eket appear far removed from that objective.
Reporters found no vocational workshop, school or counselling unit during the inspection. The centre’s buildings were also in a state of severe disrepair, while vehicles meant to support its operations had been abandoned.
The Officer-in-Charge, Chief Superintendent of Corrections Samuel Bassey, recently said over 40 awaiting-trial inmates were unable to attend court because the centre had no functional vehicles.
The revelation was made on Tuesday, September 1, when a forum of Eket Federal Constituency media professionals (EFCMP), led by its Chairman, Comrade Enobong Nsimah, visited the facility to assess its condition and explore ways of providing pro bono legal assistance to inmates without legal representation.
He said some inmates transferred to the facility from Nsit Ubium Local Government Area as far back as 2023 had never appeared in court because of the transportation problem.