The primary TikTok account linked to Elijah Oyebode, a death row inmate at the Ibara Custodial Centre in Abeokuta, has been deleted following a report published by the Nigerian Tribune and PREMIUM TIMES. The account @ayola.oluwafu now returns the message: “Couldn’t find this account,” as of Tuesday, 4 August.
Investigation exposes prison phone use
The investigation revealed that Mr Oyebode had been operating at least two TikTok accounts from inside the correctional centre, receiving monetary gifts from thousands of viewers who were unaware of his conviction. He was convicted of the 2016 murder of Rofiat Adebisi, a final-year student of Osun State University.
During a monitored TikTok Live session on 16 April 2026, Mr Oyebode disclosed the scale of digital access inside the facility. “An individual may have two to three phones,” he said. “Facebook and TikTok are full of prisoners. They will not disclose their location to anyone. If they do video calls and people see a nice background, they will not know where they are.”
Second account impersonates popular host
A second account linked to Mr Oyebode was identified through forensic analysis and witness testimony. The account was used to impersonate Omolola Awoyele, a prominent TikTok Live host. “Elijah created an account using my name and uploaded my picture, which meant he could potentially use it to scam people online,” Ms Awoyele told the Saturday Tribune. After she confronted him directly, he apologised and removed her image.
TikTok silent on account removal
Before publication, this reporter contacted TikTok’s Head of Communications for Sub-Saharan Africa, Keagile Makgoba. At that time, Makgoba requested the account handle and asked for a deadline extension to conduct an internal investigation. No further substantive response was received.
The account remained live and active through the publication of the investigation on 1 August. However, upon another check on Tuesday, 4 August, the account had been deleted. We contacted TikTok on Tuesday seeking clarification on whether the account was removed by the platform or by the account holder. The Nigerian Correctional Service has not released any statement in response to the published investigation.
Broader implications for prison security
This incident raises serious concerns about the enforcement of laws prohibiting mobile phone use by inmates in Nigerian correctional facilities. The fact that a convicted murderer could not only access the internet but also run multiple social media accounts and receive financial gifts highlights significant security lapses.
The deletion of the account, while a positive step, does not address the underlying issue of contraband phones in prisons. Authorities may need to conduct thorough searches and implement stricter monitoring to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
As of now, neither TikTok nor the Nigerian Correctional Service has provided an official statement regarding the deletion or the broader investigation. This publication will continue to follow the story and update readers as more information becomes available.
