Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A convicted fake Nigerian Army general, Bolarinwa Oluwasegun Abiodun, has reportedly been attacked by warders at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre in Lagos and rushed to a military hospital for treatment. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, has raised fresh concerns about the safety of inmates inside Nigeria's correctional facilities and the conduct of the officers tasked with their custody.
According to a source who spoke with SaharaReporters, the incident occurred when correctional officers allegedly entered Bolarinwa's cell while he was asleep and attacked him, causing him to fall to the ground. The source claimed that the convict was subsequently taken to the Military Hospital on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, for medical attention. The source further alleged that Bolarinwa had previously survived four suspected poisoning attempts and claimed that there were concerns over his safety. Those allegations of previous poisoning and an alleged plot to kill him could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report.
A family source, who spoke about the incident, said relatives were not present when the alleged assault occurred but were later informed. "I was not there when it happened, but I was informed that warders went to him to attack him. Maybe they wanted to do all sorts of things to him. They just woke him suddenly because he was sleeping. And pushed him. He fell to the ground," the source said. The family source said Bolarinwa was taken to the military hospital for treatment. "He was rushed to the Military hospital on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi. They have taken him to the theatre, and we are still waiting for the results of some tests done," the source added.
According to the family member, Bolarinwa alleged that he had been physically assaulted. "When I got to him, he told me that they beat him and squeezed his private parts. I don't know why they did that kind of thing to him. Maybe they wanted to kill him," the source said. The source also alleged that the officers had been searching for a mobile phone when they entered the convict's cell. The Nigeria Correctional Service has not issued an official statement on the incident, and the identities of the warders involved have not been disclosed.
Bolarinwa was remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre in April 2022 after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arraigned him before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos. The EFCC charged him with 13 counts involving obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and possession of documents containing false pretences in a case involving N266.5 million. The anti-graft agency alleged that Bolarinwa falsely presented himself as a Nigerian Army general and told Kodef Clearing Resources Limited that former President Muhammadu Buhari had shortlisted him and another person for appointment as Chief of Army Staff. According to the EFCC, he demanded money from the company to "press and process the appointment". The commission also accused him of forging a letter of appointment as Chief of Army Staff purportedly signed by Buhari. Other documents allegedly forged by Bolarinwa included a Nigerian Army identity card, a letter of recommendation purportedly signed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a certificate of confirmation and a letter of authorisation.
EFCC officials also said six pump-action guns, three cartridge bullets, a swagger stick and several forged documents were recovered from his residence in Alagbado, Lagos, when he was arrested on January 12, 2022. On July 7, 2022, his lawyer, Otunba Ogunleye, informed the court that his client had decided to change his plea rather than continue with the trial. When the 13 counts were read to him again, Bolarinwa pleaded guilty. Justice Taiwo consequently convicted him on all 13 counts and sentenced him to seven years' imprisonment without an option of fine. The court also ordered the forfeiture of four vehicles and a property to the Federal Government. He was also ordered to pay N20 million in restitution to the complainant.
The attack on Bolarinwa comes amid growing concerns about the treatment of inmates in Nigerian correctional facilities. In recent years, there have been repeated reports of assaults, extortion and even deaths inside custodial centres, with officers often accused of complicity. The Nigerian Correctional Service has consistently maintained that it does not condone misconduct by its personnel and that erring officers are sanctioned in accordance with the law. However, the persistence of such incidents suggests that the mechanisms for accountability within the service remain weak. The attack on a high-profile inmate like Bolarinwa, who is serving a sentence for impersonating a military general and defrauding a company of millions of naira, raises questions about whether the violence was motivated by a search for a mobile phone, as alleged, or by something more sinister. The family's claim that he had survived four poisoning attempts and that there were plans to kill him adds a troubling dimension to the case, though those allegations remain unverified.
For now, Bolarinwa remains at the military hospital, where he is receiving treatment. His family is waiting for the results of the tests conducted after he was taken to the theatre. The circumstances surrounding the attack remain unclear, and the correctional service has yet to provide an official account of what happened inside the cell. The incident serves as a stark reminder that even behind bars, the safety of inmates is not guaranteed, and that the line between custody and vulnerability can be terrifyingly thin. As the investigation into the incident continues, the question on the minds of many Nigerians is whether this is an isolated case of brutality or another symptom of a correctional system in crisis.
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