The Ogun State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service has arrested a woman, Mrs Iyabo Sowunmi, for allegedly attempting to smuggle a substance suspected to be an illicit drug into the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Ibara, Abeokuta.
The command said the substance was allegedly intended for her son, Dare Sowunmi, who is being held on death row at the correctional facility.
Spokesperson for the command, Olayinka Odukoya, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Monday.
According to Odukoya, Sowunmi was arrested at about 1:33 p.m. on Friday, August 28, 2026, during routine screening at the main entrance of the custodial centre.
He said correctional officers discovered a suspicious substance believed to be “Colos,” a psychoactive synthetic drug, concealed inside a sachet of a popular beverage powder.
“Routine screening procedures at the facility’s main entry point led to the detection of suspicious substances, believed to be the psychoactive synthetic drug commonly known as ‘Colos,’ concealed within a sachet of a popular beverage powder,” Odukoya said.
Following the discovery, Sowunmi was detained and subsequently handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The correctional service said the transfer was undertaken in accordance with established inter-agency operational protocols.
Reacting to the incident, the Controller of Corrections in Ogun State, Abioye Adesina, commended the officers who detected the suspected contraband during the screening exercise.
Adesina reaffirmed the command’s zero-tolerance policy towards drug trafficking and other activities capable of compromising security within custodial facilities.
“Our custodial facilities exist to ensure public safety, reformation and rehabilitation. We maintain an absolute zero-tolerance policy for drug trafficking or any illegal acts designed to compromise security,” he said.
The controller warned that anyone attempting to introduce prohibited items into a correctional facility would face legal action.
The command also urged members of the public to respect the integrity and security of custodial institutions, warning that anyone found attempting to undermine them would face the full weight of the law.