Columbia man goes from working at SC jail to locked up there, officials say
A guard at a prison in Columbia has gone from one side of the bars to the other after he was charged with multiple crimes Wednesday, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
Following an incident involving an inmate at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, 41-year-old Columbia resident Ken Igboka was charged with second-degree assault and battery as well as misconduct in office, Richland County court records show.
On Feb. 4, deputies were notified by jail staff about an incident that happened on New Year’s Day, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.
Igboka was involved in a physical altercation with an inmate on Jan. 1, according to the release. The inmate suffered minor injuries and Igboka failed to report the incident, the sheriff’s department said. Further information on the inmate’s condition was not available.
There was neither any word about what led to the incident nor where in the jail it occurred.
The sheriff’s department said Igboka was booked at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. He remains behind bars, jail records show.
Bond on the assault charge was set at $5,000, but as of 2:30 p.m. had not been posted, according to Richland County court records. Information about bond on the misconduct in office charge was not available.
Igboka is scheduled to appear in court again on April 25, judicial records show.
The jail is managed by the Richland County government, not the sheriff’s department.
In a statement Wednesday, a county spokesperson said the jail promptly notified the sheriff’s department after learning of the allegations, and that Igboka was placed on leave without pay and recommended for termination following his arrest.
The Richland County jail has drawn criticism for years because of deaths, violence, poor conditions and understaffing. On Jan. 15, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the findings of its investigation into the jail, saying a “culture of violence” became “pervasive, systematic and commonplace,” at the detention center.
Richland County administrators maintain that they are continuing to make progress on improving conditions at the jail.
“The safety and well-being of our staff and detainees continue to be the county’s top priority,” a county spokesperson said in the statement.
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This story was originally published February 12, 2025 at 2:29 PM.
