A U.S.-based Nigerian correctional officer, Bashir Oladimeji Lawal, is facing possible disciplinary action from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) over alleged public intoxication charge.

The Peoples Gazette learnt that the 37-year-old was arrested on Sunday by officers from the Huntsville Police Department for being under the influence of alcohol in public. 

Mr Lawal, who is assigned to Wainwright Unit in Lovelady having joined the TDCJ as a correctional officer in May 2025, was subsequently charged with public intoxication before he was released on a personal recognisance bond.

Additionally, jail records showed that the suspect was assessed a $281 fine. Under Texas laws, public intoxication is considered a Class C misdemeanor and it is only punishable by fine up to $500. 

It was not the first time a Nigerian correctional officer employed by the TDCJ had been arrested for alleged criminal conduct.

The Gazette reported in May that Ayodele Abiodun Afosi was arrested and charged for allegedly fleeing the scene of an accident, causing damage worth more than $200.

Mr Afosi’s arrest came just three months after he was hired by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice as a prison guard, putting his employment with the state in jeopardy. 

The outcome of Mr Afosi’s case has still yet to be released.