Potiskum Inmate Gives Birth After Rape Allegations Against Jail Officer

POTISKUM,— An inmate at the Potiskum Correctional Centre in Yobe State has given birth to a baby boy, marking a shocking development in a burgeoning scandal involving alleged sexual assault by a prison officer.

Blessing Sunday, 28, delivered the child on Sunday at the Potiskum Specialist Hospital. Both mother and newborn are reported to be in stable condition, according to hospital sources and a statement from the Yobe State Ministry of Health. The baby boy, weighing approximately 3.2 kilograms, was born without complications following a monitored pregnancy within the facility.

The birth caps a disturbing saga first exposed by Daily Nigerian in October 2024. Blessing, serving a sentence for alleged theft, accused Assistant Superintendent of Corrections (ASCO) Sani Saleh-Bodejo of repeatedly sexually assaulting her over several months, leading to her pregnancy. She claimed the assaults occurred with the complicity of some female colleagues at the centre, who allegedly turned a blind eye or facilitated access.

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Saleh-Bodejo, whose father is a prominent figure in the Nigerian Correctional Service, was also accused of assaulting another inmate, Salma, 24, who is serving time for a similar petty offense. Salma reportedly suffered physical injuries and required medical attention, further fueling outrage over systemic vulnerabilities in female wings of correctional facilities.

The allegations prompted swift action from the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS). Following a preliminary investigation, Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo approved the indefinite suspension of Saleh-Bodejo and four other officers—three females and one male—for “gross unprofessional conduct and dereliction of duty.” The suspensions, announced in November 2024, came with a commitment to a full probe.

In a statement yesterday, NCoS spokesperson Abubakar Umar reaffirmed the agency’s “zero-tolerance stance on misconduct,” vowing that any officer found guilty would face severe disciplinary measures, including dismissal and prosecution under the Criminal Code and NCoS regulations. “The service will not shield perpetrators; justice will be served,” Umar said.

Human rights groups, including the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) and Amnesty International Nigeria, have called for an independent inquiry, citing the case as emblematic of broader abuses in Nigeria’s overcrowded prisons. Potiskum Correctional Centre, housing over 1,200 inmates against a capacity of 600, has faced prior scrutiny for poor oversight and inadequate welfare, especially for female detainees.

Blessing’s lawyer, Barrister Fatima Yusuf, told reporters outside the hospital that her client welcomes the birth but demands justice. “This child is innocent, but the trauma inflicted on Blessing cannot be undone without accountability,” she said. Saleh-Bodejo has denied the allegations, claiming they are fabricated, though he remains in custody pending further investigation.

As the probe continues, the incident underscores persistent challenges in Nigeria’s correctional system, where reports of guard-inmate abuses surface periodically despite reforms under the Tunji-Ojo-led ministry.