By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
Gripped by the fear of attack by the fleeing prisoners from the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kabba in Kogi State, following an attack on the Centre by unidentified gunmen on Sunday, residents of Lokoja have called on the Kogi State Government to strengthen its security architecture to check future occurrence.
The people made the call in separate interview with the Correspondent of The Reporters, an online publication in Lokoja on Tuesday.
Messrs Mohammed Bello, Richard Owolabi, Anthony Adagiri, Matthew Eleojo, Abdullahi Adamu among others, expressed concern over the incident, describing it as a greater threat to security of life and prosperity.
“What happened in Kabba on Sunday is not a child’s play and as such, the state government in collaboration with security agencies in the state, should ensure that all the prisoners that fled are rearrested,”Adagiri said.
“Nobody is saved in a situation where prisoners are let loose, because they could vent their venom on the people, therefore, every effort should be made to rearrest them and security further tightened around all Correctional facilities in the state to check a reoccurrence,”Adamu urged.
Bello,in his contribution, called on the Federal government to set up a high power committee to unravel the circumstances that led to the attack on Centre, to bring culprits to book and deter others in their shoe.
The Reporters recalls that some gunmen attacked the centre and set prisoners free, having killed two soldiers and injured one at a check point before storming the Centre.
Meanwhile,the Federal Government said it had launched a manhunt for gunmen who attacked the Centre, according to the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola in a statement.
“A crisis response centre has been activated and a Special Task Force mobilised to recapture escaped inmates, while an Inter-Agency Security Task Force is already on the trail of the gunmen who attacked the facility.
The public is advised to stay calm as the situation is under control.
” We shall leave no stone unturned to bring the inmates who escaped back to the custody,”he assured.
The minister said government had also put INTERPOL on notice with details of inmates that escaped, in case any of them attempts fleeing the country.
He, therefore, urged fleeing inmates to voluntarily return, adding that they would be eligible for mitigation, if they willfully surrender at the nearest law enforcement office.
Aregbesola noted that during the attack, security officers on duty, comprising 15 soldiers, 10 police officers and 10 armed guards of the service fought gallantly to repel the attack.
“The facility had 294 inmates as at the time of the attack, many of whom escaped after the gunmen used explosives to destroy three sides of the perimeter fence.The remaining 28 inmates didn’t escape.
“Meanwhile, some of the inmates who escaped have also voluntarily returned to the facility this morning,” he said.
In the same vein, Kogi Government has assured that security agencies had commenced synergy with relevant stakeholders to unmask and arrest the mastermind of the attack.
Mr Kingsley Fanwo, Commissioner for Information and Communications, in a statement in Lokoja, added that security agencies had intensified efforts to ensure that prisoners who escaped from the Centre were re-arrested.
