Eket Correctional Centre Allegedly Used To Detain Government Critics As 49 Inmates Await Trial For Over 10 Years

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 allegedly be left to languish for years without trial or meaningful judicial intervention.

An inspection of the facility by reporters on September 2, 2026, revealed a severely dilapidated centre, with crumbling buildings, abandoned vehicles and inadequate facilities for the rehabilitation and welfare of inmates.

Beyond the physical decay, sources within the centre alleged that the facility is sometimes used to punish individuals considered critical of the government.

“When they want to deal with you, they bring you to Eket and abandon you here. No trial, no transfer, nothing. They hope you die here,” a correctional officer alleged, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The allegation comes amid claims that at least 49 inmates at the centre have been awaiting trial for more than 10 years.

According to sources, some inmates allegedly have no case files, while others were reportedly arrested over minor offences or in connection with activism. The prolonged detention, the sources claimed, is worsened by repeated adjournments of cases, leaving inmates in custody for years without a clear timeline for the resolution of their cases.

Sources further alleged that compromised court officials contribute to the delays, although the claims could not be independently verified.

The Nigerian Prisons Service was renamed the Nigerian Correctional Service as part of a broader reform aimed at moving the system away from punishment and confinement towards rehabilitation and reintegration. However, the conditions observed at the Eket facility appear inconsistent with that objective.

Reporters found no functional vocational workshop, school or counselling unit during the inspection. Several buildings were also found in a state of severe disrepair, while vehicles meant to support the centre’s operations had reportedly been abandoned.

The Officer-in-Charge of the facility, Chief Superintendent of Corrections Samuel Bassey, recently disclosed that more than 40 awaiting-trial inmates had been unable to attend court because the centre lacked functional vehicles.

Bassey made the disclosure on Tuesday, September 1, when members of the Eket Federal Constituency Media Professionals (EFCMP), led by their 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.

According to Bassey, some inmates transferred to the facility from Nsit Ubium Local Government Area as far back as 2023 had never appeared in court because of transportation challenges.

The situation has raised fresh concerns over prolonged pre-trial detention, access to justice and the ability of correctional facilities to fulfil their mandate of rehabilitation and reintegration.