Nigeria frees 4,000 inmates, sacks prison chief after TikTok livestream scandal

Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji‑Ojo, told a regional conference that 93 % of the country’s prisoners are held for state offences, many for minor fines. He said the federal audit of inmates serving sentences for fines under 500,000 naira led to the release of more than 4,000 people, cutting prison occupancy by about five percent in a single day.

Following a separate incident in which a death‑row inmate livestreamed on TikTok from the Ibara Medium Custodial Centre, the Nigerian Correctional Service removed the officer‑in‑charge and two senior officials. Controller‑General Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche called the breach a “grave violation of custodial regulations” and launched a nationwide security review while the inmate was transferred to a higher‑security facility.