Nsukka Correctional Services in Enugu State, a facility dating back to 1926, is under scrutiny following revelations of daily extortion from visitors. Inmates from six local government areas are held at the facility, but attention has shifted to the conduct of staff, particularly a female warder identified as Bridget. Visitors seeking to see inmates are routinely charged N200 as a "ticket permit fee," collected without receipts or official record. A reporter who visited the site on a weekday afternoon observed the process firsthand, paying the N200 and filling out a form with personal details and the inmate's name. Some visitors complained they had paid three times in one day to see a relative. The reporter noted that the money collected was not logged in any formal system, raising concerns about financial accountability. While some visitors were allowed entry without payment, the practice appears arbitrary. Attempts to reach Controller of Corrections in Enugu State, Valins Obizue, for comment were unsuccessful.
The brazenness of the N200 charge at Nsukka prison isn't just about the money—it's a sign of how deeply informal systems have replaced official protocol in public institutions. Bridget and other staff operate like gatekeepers in a private toll plaza, not officers in a state-run correctional facility. When a visitor pays to see a loved one and no receipt is issued, the line between custodian and criminal blurs. This has been happening for decades without intervention, and until someone higher than a warder answers for it, nothing will change.
