...Some Activities Inside Oporoza Detention Facility

Mike Oketebe is a senior guard at Tompolo’s private prison in Oporoza, Gbaramatu Kingdom. In the photo, he is standing inside one of the prison buildings.

The blue mark on the image points to an iron gate, which, according to accounts from the area, is the same place where a prisoner identified as Motu Mone, also known as MK, was allegedly held before he was taken away and killed.

The building is said to have been used for holding prisoners for many years and is reportedly still being used for that purpose. It is located opposite the Gbaraun Egbesu shrine, while Tompolo’s former Chief Security Officer, Ebipade Kari, is said to live directly in front of the building.

The other rooms in the building are described as prison cells where young people from the Niger Delta are allegedly kept. According to these accounts, prisoners are locked inside under harsh conditions, subjected to difficult labour and made to live in misery. 

The building is reportedly painted from time to time, which helps conceal the purpose from visitors and outsiders who come into the community.

Oketebe is not just an ordinary guard; accounts say he is a senior boss overseeing the prisoners. According to reports, prisoners are brought into the corridor of the building, beaten, and put back into the cells.

According to these allegations, prisoners who make too much noise or protest their treatment may be severely beaten. Some are allegedly beaten so badly that they do not survive. 

The accounts further claim that, when prisoners die, their bodies are not returned to their families, leaving relatives without answers about what happened to their loved ones. These allegations paint a disturbing picture of how the lives of some Ijaw youths are allegedly treated inside the facility.

Oketebe is also accused of benefiting financially from the suffering of prisoners. According to the allegations, when a family sends money to a prisoner, for example, ₦50,000, Oketebe allegedly takes as much as ₦40,000 and gives only ₦10,000 to the prisoner. 

Prisoners who complain are reportedly threatened with further punishment or beatings. The alleged diversion of money is presented as one of the ways prisoners are exploited while in confinement.

The allegations do not end with money sent by families. Prisoners are reportedly forced to perform hard labour, including offloading goods from barges and boats and carrying out other physically demanding jobs. In some cases, Tompolo is said to provide small amounts of money to help prisoners obtain medicine when they become sick. 

However, according to the allegations, Oketebe sometimes takes this money as well, leaving sick prisoners without the resources they need for treatment.

The harsh working conditions are also alleged to have serious consequences for the health of the prisoners. Some are said to become severely ill after prolonged exposure to difficult labour and poor living conditions, with little or no adequate medical care available to them.

Even the food reportedly provided to the prisoners is alleged to be subject to exploitation. According to the account, Oketebe will remove the meat from the soup before it reaches the prisoners, leaving them with watery soup and small portions of eba. He will to tell them that, because they are prisoners, they do not deserve better food.

Reports say Oketebe did not show mercy to one of his bosses, the commissioner  for prison aka KFT, who was placed under house arrest in an isolated room.

​Whenever Tompolo released a prisoner, KFT would secretly transfer them to his own private prison in Krutie and be using them for hard labor. 

For instance, a prisoner Tompolo thought was freed three years ago was actually sent to KFT’s private prison in Krutie. When Tompolo discovered this, he became angry and locked KFT up.

​Oketebe and his crew routinely ate the food meant for KFT. Eventually, KFT was released to cover their tracks after news of his arrest leaked out.

These are serious allegations concerning the treatment of prisoners, the use of forced labour, the handling of money sent by families and the alleged deaths of people in custody. 

The story does not end with Mike Oketebe. Further accounts are expected to examine allegations involving another prison warden, the DPO, Commissioner, and other executional of Tompolo’s private prison. 

The series will also look into claims about activities allegedly taking place around Oporoza and Gbaramatu Kingdom, including accounts concerning events said to occur at night by Tompolo himself.