Former Skye Bank Plc Chairman Tunde Ayeni was allegedly stripped of a wedding ring and a luxury wristwatch valued at more than N120 million during a controversial raid at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, according to multiple sources familiar with the incident.
Sources inside the facility told SaharaReporters that the operation was led by senior officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service, including the Deputy Controller-General (DCG) of Operations and officers overseeing the custodial centre.
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The sources also alleged that suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari, who is currently detained at the facility, lost approximately N2 million during the same operation.
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According to insiders, armed operatives accompanied by Department of State Services (DSS) dogs stormed the prison yard wearing bulletproof vests, triggering panic among inmates.
“One of the former chairmen of Skye Bank in Kuje prison was searched and robbed of his wedding ring and wristwatch worth over N120 million by officers in charge of Kuje prison,” one source told SaharaReporters.
“Abba Kyari was also robbed of about N2 million by the same officers. They came into the yard with DSS dogs and bulletproof vests during the operation,” the source added.
The incident has reportedly heightened tensions within the correctional facility, with some inmates accusing officials of intimidation and abuse of power.
Another source familiar with the matter said Ayeni was considering filing a formal petition against the officers allegedly involved.
“The bank chairman wants to petition them as I speak to you,” the source said.
The operation was reportedly carried out under the guise of a routine search within the custodial centre. But insiders alleged that cash and valuables belonging to several high-profile detainees were seized without proper documentation or accountability.
Ayeni, a businessman and former chairman of the defunct Skye Bank Plc, is currently facing trial over alleged fraud amounting to N15.7 billion. He was recently granted bail by an Abuja High Court in the sum of N200 million under stringent conditions, including sureties who must be federal civil servants and a N15 billion bank guarantee.
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Kyari, the suspended former head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), is also standing trial over allegations linked to drug trafficking and other offences.
The Kuje Correctional Centre has repeatedly drawn national attention over security lapses and controversies involving high-profile detainees, including previous jailbreaks, allegations of preferential treatment, and claims of abuse by prison officials.
