A woman, Balikis Shobowale, has been handed over to the police after she was allegedly caught attempting to smuggle ethanol concealed in a bottled water pack into the Ibara Custodial Centre in Ogun State.
Shobowale was intercepted by correctional officers at about 3:50 PM on Saturday during a routine screening at the facility, the Nigerian Correctional Service, Ogun State Command, said.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Odukoya, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
Odukoya said the suspect allegedly concealed the ethanol inside a bottled water pack and presented it as drinking water intended for an inmate.
He said the substance was detected before it could reach the inmate population.
The statement read, “At about 15:50 hours today, 26th September 2026, vigilant officials at the Ibara Custodial Centre intercepted a woman, identified as Shobowale Balikis, in an attempt to smuggle contraband into the facility.
“She was caught concealing ethanol inside a bottled water pack, disguising it as drinking water intended for an inmate.
“The swift action of correctional officers ensured the illicit substance was detected before it could reach the inmate population.
Shobowale has since been handed over to the Nigerian Police for further investigation, with appropriate legal proceedings expected to follow.
The Controller of Corrections, Ogun State Command, Abioye Kamoru Adesina, reiterated the Service’s zero-tolerance policy on the smuggling of contraband into custodial facilities.
Adesina said the incident demonstrated the command’s determination to protect inmates, maintain order, and uphold the integrity of the correctional system.
The command assured the public that it would continue to strengthen measures aimed at preventing the infiltration of contraband into its facilities.
It would be recalled that another woman, Iyabo Sowunmi, was arrested earlier in August for allegedly attempting to smuggle suspected illicit drugs into the same facility for her son, Dare Sowunmi, who was said to be on death row.
Sowunmi was reportedly arrested at about 1:33 PM on August 28, 2026, during screening at the facility’s main entrance.
The substance, suspected to be “Colos,” a psychoactive synthetic drug, was allegedly concealed in a sachet of a popular beverage and intended for the inmate.
