Convicted robber caught during visa processing in Lagos

A convicted armed robber, Haruna Ayo, has been was caught while trying to obtain a passport and visa to leave Nigeria.

Ayo is still serving his sentence at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Custodial Centre in Lagos State.

Ayo, who had his life sentence reduced to 21 years, was due for release on October 11, 2025.

It was gathered that the convicted armed robber was among five inmates selected to do house chores at the residence of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) officer.

While outside the prison, a senior officer was said to have directed another officer to release Ayo into his custody.

The inmate was then taken to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) office in FESTAC Town to begin processing travel documents.

Suspicion arose when the officer who accompanied Ayo became impatient and mentioned needing to return him to custody.

Immigration officials, sensing something was wrong, detained both Ayo and the officer, then reported the incident to superiors.

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It was gathered that the matter was escalated to the NCoS headquarters in Lagos.

The NCoS spokesperson, Abubakar Umar, confirmed the incident via a statement on Saturday, June 21, 2025.

Umar disclosed that two NCoS officers have been suspended over their alleged involvement in the incident.

Umar said that the misconduct was detected through the automated passport application system operated by the Nigeria Immigration Service

He stated: “The Service wishes to clarify that this misconduct was uncovered a fortnight ago through reforms introduced in the NIS, which flagged the irregularity.

“This particularly speaks to inter-agency collaboration and cooperation.

“The implicated officers were suspended by the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), under the leadership of the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, as part of disciplinary measures.”

The Star