The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has arrested a man, Njimogu Ikedi, for allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine and other hard drugs into the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The incident was revealed in a statement by the spokesperson of the FCT Command of NCoS, Samson Duza, on Monday in Abuja.
Duza said the arrest took place around 12:45 pm on Saturday during a routine search, identifying the suspect as Njimogu Ikedi, who had “concealed substances believed to be cannabis sativa and other psychoactive drugs in his clothes while trying to visit an inmate.”
According to him, the Controller of Corrections in the FCT, Christopher Jen, ordered the suspect’s arrest and confirmed that Ikedi has since been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for investigation and prosecution.
Jen cautioned visitors with “ulterior motives” to keep away from the prison, stressing that alert officers would continue to uncover such plots.
He also appealed to the public to support the service in rehabilitating offenders and ensuring community safety.
This interception comes more than a year after a woman was caught attempting to sneak similar substances into the same facility.
That woman admitted she had been sent to deliver drugs to an inmate while posing as a visitor and concealing the substances inside food packs.
The case mirrored another incident in July 2024, when a woman was also arrested for attempting to smuggle suspected psychoactive substances into the facility.