Operatives of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Ogun State Command, have arrested a woman identified as Shobowale Balikis for allegedly attempting to smuggle alcohol into the Ibara Custodial Centre in Abeokuta.

The woman was reportedly intercepted at about 3:50pm on Saturday by vigilant correctional officers while allegedly attempting to take the substance into the facility for an inmate.

According to the command’s Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Odukoya, the substance, identified as “Ethano,” was concealed inside a bottled-water pack in an attempt to disguise it as ordinary drinking water.

Odukoya said the substance was detected during screening before it could reach the inmate population.

He said Balikis had subsequently been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation and possible prosecution.

The NCoS spokesman said the swift intervention of the officers prevented the prohibited substance from entering the custodial facility.

Reacting to the incident, the Controller of Corrections, Ogun State Command, Abioye Adesina, described the arrest as another indication of the command’s zero-tolerance policy towards the smuggling of contraband into custodial centres.

Adesina reaffirmed the command’s commitment to maintaining safety, discipline and integrity within its facilities, adding that the service would continue to protect inmates, preserve order and uphold the rule of law.

The command also assured members of the public that it would intensify screening and other security measures to prevent the infiltration of contraband into custodial facilities.

The latest incident occurred weeks after the command announced the arrest of another woman, Mrs Iyabo Sowunmi, for allegedly attempting to smuggle suspected illicit drugs into the same Ibara custodial facility.

Sowunmi was reportedly arrested during routine screening at the facility’s main entrance on August 28, 2026, with the suspected drugs allegedly intended for her son, Dare Sowunmi, who was said to be on death row at the facility.