Charles Okah, a high-profile inmate at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre (MaSCC) in Maiduguri, is reportedly in critical condition following a suspected bomb explosion that rocked the facility late Sunday night.
The blast, which occurred around 9 p.m. on April 20, is now being treated by insiders as an attempted assassination. Okah, found unconscious in his cell early Monday morning, is said to have suffered severe smoke inhalation and possibly serious burns.
Sources within the facility confirmed that Okah was removed from the debris around 6 a.m. by emergency personnel. Although still alive, he remains unconscious and in a life-threatening condition.
According to sources, paramedics attached to the custodial centre are working to stabilise him, with plans underway to transfer him to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for specialised treatment.
Security sources revealed that a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera with night vision capabilities, positioned near the cells, may have captured footage of the individual responsible for planting the explosive device.
Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear, but speculation is rife. Some reports link the explosion to a recent discovery made during a routine cell search on Monday, April 14. During the operation, conducted by personnel from the Armed Squad Unit, a draft letter allegedly authored by Okah was found. The letter reportedly detailed claims of staged deaths within the prison system and was addressed to the Borno State Attorney General.
Other sources suggest a more sinister theory that elements within the high command of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) may be complicit in the incident, allegedly aiming to silence Okah before a scheduled investigation into corruption within Maiduguri’s custodial centres could occur.
Authorities are yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident or Okah’s current medical condition.
Charles Okah, brother of Henry Okah, has been serving a prison sentence linked to the 2010 Independence Day bombings in Abuja. His incarceration has remained a subject of public interest and controversy over the years.
On Sunday evening, SaharaReporters reported that an explosion had rocked the prison facility, sparking a fire in the solitary confinement cell where Ohah had been held since mid-March.
Initial reports from within the prison indicated that an object, likely a bomb, was lobbed into Okah’s cell through the open window bars.
Eyewitnesses reported heavy smoke billowing from the cell. The incident followed Okah’s open letter to Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi-Ojo, in which he exposed widespread judicial and official corruption in two custodial centres in Maiduguri.
According to accounts from the scene, Okah was heard coughing and choking amidst the growing smoke, with his screams echoing throughout the compound. He reportedly shouted that the explosive device had been thrown into his cell, sparking the fire that had engulfed his quarters.
SaharaReporters’ attempts to contact Abubakar Umar, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, for comment were unsuccessful. He did not answer phone calls or respond to a text message.
© SaharaReporters
