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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) has refuted reports that Charles Okah, the convicted Independence Day bomber who has been in solitary confinement at the Maiduguri Maximum Security Custodial Centre (MaSCC) since March 16, 2025, sustained injuries following an incident at the prison.
The spokesperson for the NCoS, Abubakar Umar, also dismissed as untrue reports of any bomb explosion occurring at the facility. He further stated that Okah is alive and in good health.
Conflicting reports had emerged Monday evening suggesting that Okah may have suffered from smoke inhalation after a purported explosive device allegedly triggered a fire in his cell on Sunday evening, April 20.
The report claimed the purported explosion led to a blaze that engulfed Okah’s cell.
However, prison authorities have firmly denied any bomb explosion at MaSCC or any other correctional facility nationwide.
Recall that further speculation suggested that an improvised incendiary explosive device was thrown into Okah’s cell through the window bars at approximately 9:00 pm on Sunday.
Speaking to Pointblank news via telephone, Mr. Umar asserted, “That is not true. Okah is doing well, and my officers visited him this evening to speak with him. He’s fine.”
“And there’s no bomb explosion anywhere within our facility in Maiduguri. So, the story making the rounds is fake. Please disregard it,’’ he emphasized.
It has been reported that since his solitary confinement began, Okah has allegedly been deprived of basic human rights, with authorities purportedly targeting individuals perceived as his allies.
In the period following Okah’s detention, concerns have been raised regarding the treatment of inmates at the facility due to a series of events.
On March 8, 2018, the Federal High Court in Abuja found Okah and Obi Nwabueze guilty on five of the eight counts of terrorism charges, sentencing both men to life imprisonment.
The convictions stemmed from the Independence Day bombing on October 1, 2010, when several bombs planted in three cars detonated simultaneously near Eagle Square, the venue of the Independence Day celebration presided over by then-President Goodluck Jonathan.
The bombings resulted in the deaths of twelve persons, injuries to several others, and the burning of nearby properties, including cars.
Following the bombing, Okah and his accomplices—Obi Nwabueze, Edmund Ebiware, and Tiemkemfa Francis-Osvwo, also known as General Gbokos—were arrested and arraigned on December 7, 2010, for their involvement in the Warri and Independence Day bombings in Abuja.