EXCLUSIVE(SAHARA REPORTERS): Presidency Allegedly Hails DSS, Prison Heads Over Sowore's TB-Exposed Kuje Detention

Fresh details have surfaced, indicating that the administration led by Bola Tinubu reportedly endorsed the confinement of human rights advocate and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential flagbearer, Omoyele Sowore, within a highly contagious cell block at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre in Abuja.

Sources close to SaharaReporters disclosed on Saturday that Mr. Sylvester Nwakuche, the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), and Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), received commendations from President Tinubu’s office concerning Sowore's placement among inmates suffering from infectious diseases. Insiders within the presidency reportedly lauded these security chiefs for "doing the needful" by holding the outspoken activist in Custody Block 4. This particular section of the facility is said to be heavily populated by inmates battling active tuberculosis (TB) infections.

One source revealed the grim reality: "Two of the TB patients have died and a third is battling with his life while 37 others are undergoing treatment in the last three months but several of them have stopped treatment since Sowore came to the Kuje correctional centre." The source further alleged, "They are starved of medicine by the order of the prison authorities in Abuja in connivance with the DG DSS and the Controller-General of prison whose tenure had already expired." Another top source corroborated the dire conditions, stating, "The inmates could be heard coughing all night in the crowded prison block where the sewage had also been left overflowing since Sowore arrived."

These revelations emerged following SaharaReporters' report on Friday, highlighting renewed health concerns for Sowore after his remand at Kuje Correctional Centre. The report detailed conditions that have reignited scrutiny over healthcare and disease management practices within the facility. Sowore was sent to Kuje on June 22, 2026, by the Federal High Court in Abuja, following proceedings before Justice Mohammed Umar, awaiting the hearing of his bail application.

The Kuje Correctional Centre has been under increasing examination regarding its treatment of sick inmates. Information gathered by SaharaReporters indicates that at least 37 inmates diagnosed with tuberculosis as of December 2025 are still receiving treatment. A source noted, "Kuje Prison has recently faced scrutiny over the treatment of sick inmates. Meanwhile, 37 inmates diagnosed with TB as at December 2025 still under treatment."

Earlier reports from SaharaReporters on Wednesday had revealed Sowore's detention in a cell alongside TB-infected inmates, sparking anxieties about his well-being and broader concerns about medical provision in Nigeria's correctional facilities. This report followed recent allegations of inadequate healthcare at the prison, particularly after two inmates reportedly died within days of each other.

SaharaReporters had previously reported the death of a foreign inmate, Benjamin Relass, on June 16, 2026, allegedly due to medical neglect, which raised alarms about access to healthcare at the facility. Another inmate, Sulieman Ajari, reportedly passed away days later under circumstances that also questioned the adequacy and timeliness of medical care for prisoners.

Should these reports be confirmed, Sowore's alleged placement in a cell with tuberculosis patients, especially given the recent inmate fatalities, would provoke significant concerns regarding inmate welfare, prison healthcare standards, and the management of communicable diseases within correctional centres. Tuberculosis remains a substantial public health issue in prisons globally, exacerbated by overcrowding, poor ventilation, delayed diagnosis, and insufficient access to treatment, all of which heighten the risk of transmission among inmates.

Earlier prison sources had informed SaharaReporters that Sowore was being held with inmates diagnosed with tuberculosis, with one reportedly having died recently and another struggling with spinal tuberculosis. This situation has intensified worries about healthcare conditions at Kuje Correctional Centre, especially after recent inmate deaths allegedly linked to delays in medical treatment. A prison source stated, "Sowore has been confined in a Kuje Prison cell alongside inmates suffering from tuberculosis. One of the affected prisoners died only last Saturday." The source emphasized that exposing detainees to such conditions raises serious health concerns and called for comprehensive medical screening and adequate healthcare access for all inmates.

The latest concerns surfaced shortly after SaharaReporters covered the death of Sulieman Ajari at Gwagwalada Hospital in Abuja. Sources familiar with the incident indicated that Ajari's condition deteriorated due to delays in receiving urgent medical treatment, reportedly because he could not afford the costs. His death occurred barely a week after Benjamin Relass, a Rwandan national, died in custody on June 16, 2026. Prison sources alleged that Ajari was rushed to the hospital after Relass's death but later died because funds for his treatment were unavailable. A prison source accused the NCoS of failing to provide timely medical care for seriously ill inmates, claiming that access to specialist treatment often hinges on whether relatives or well-wishers can cover the costs. "It is so saddening that the man who was rushed to the hospital after the Rwandan man's death has also died due to lack of funding. Inmates are usually not taken out for special treatment until their sickness becomes very severe," the source lamented.

SaharaReporters had earlier reported that an Assistant Controller General of the NCoS visited Kuje Correctional Centre to probe Relass's death. Facility sources alleged that initial findings indicated negligence by the prison's medical officer, Dr. Abraham Ezigbe. These sources claimed that while the doctor reportedly told investigators Relass had never visited the prison clinic, hospital records allegedly showed a clear medical history for the deceased at the facility.

However, Rasheed Ogundare, the Officer in Charge of the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, refuted concerns about inmates' access to healthcare. He informed SaharaReporters that most inmates are registered with the National Identification Number (NIN) and enrolled in a health insurance scheme. Ogundare explained that if an inmate's medical condition cannot be properly managed at the custodial centre's clinic, correctional authorities coordinate with the healthcare provider to facilitate a transfer to a hospital. He also denied reports of multiple TB-infected inmates being housed with other detainees, stating that the singular inmate diagnosed with tuberculosis had been isolated for treatment and was recovering. "The inmate with TB was placed in isolation for treatment. The only person with TB is recovering," he affirmed.

Meanwhile, Sowore remains in custody after Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, revoked his bail in a case filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) over comments where he described President Bola Tinubu as "a criminal." Although the court had set June 24 for a ruling on Sowore's bail restoration application, Justice Umar adjourned the ruling until June 30, 2026. During Wednesday's proceedings, Sowore's counsel, R.O. Adakole, representing lead counsel Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), had urged the court to release the activist into the custody of his legal team pending the application's determination.