A Nigerian inmate, Dennis Smith Okoro, has died at Kaliti Prison, a maximum-security facility in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Okoro, who hailed from Abia State, was reportedly among about 300 Nigerian inmates held at the prison. His d+ath occurred during the week, months after concerns were raised about his deteriorating health condition.
Fellow Nigerian inmates alleged that Okoro suffered from a kidney-related illness that developed while he was incarcerated but did not receive adequate medical attention. According to them, funds were allegedly raised and handed to prison authorities to facilitate his treatment, but he was not taken to the hospital.
The inmates also claimed that efforts to reach the Nigerian Embassy in Ethiopia over his health situation did not yield a timely response. As of the time of reporting, they said his body remains in the facility, with no official communication from Nigerian authorities.
Okoro’s d+ath adds to a series of reported fatalities involving Nigerian inmates at the same prison. In 2023, two Nigerians Chizoba Eze and Uchenna Nwanneneme reportedly died in the facility under controversial circumstances. In 2025, another inmate, Basil Ilobi Lawrence from Delta State, also d+ed while in custody.
