By Goodluck B Ikiebe
Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo says that the federal government has initiated a sustainable plan to forestall a repeat of collapse of prison building across correctional facilities in the country.
Tunji-Ojo stated this during his inspection visit in company of Controller General of the Correctional Centre, Haliru Nababa, to the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre following the rainstorm that led to the collapse of the perimeter fence of the facility.
Disclosing this in a statement via his official X account @BTOofficial, the Minister said with about 10 of the escapees already recaptured, the ministry is working with sister agencies to ensure the remaining escapees are found and recaptured.
The statement reads in full:
“Today, alongside the Controller General of the @CorrectionsNg (NCoS), Haliru Nababa, I visited the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre following the rainstorm that led to the collapse of the perimeter fence of the facility, through which over a hundred inmates escaped.”
“With about 10 of the escapees already recaptured, we are working with sister agencies to ensure the remaining escapees are found and recaptured.”
“The government has initiated a sustainable plan to forestall recurrence across correctional facilities in the country.”
About 118 inmates of the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre, Niger State escaped after heavy downpour destroyed parts of the facility on Wednesday night.
Spokesman of the FCT Command of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Adamu Duza, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday.
According to the statement, a heavy downpour that lasted for several hours on the night of Wednesday, 24 April 2024, has wreaked havoc on the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Suleja, Niger state, as well as surrounding buildings, destroying part of the custodial facility, including its perimeter fence, giving way to the escape of a total of 118 inmates of the facility,” Dazu said.
“The Service has immediately activated its recapturing mechanisms, and in conjunction with sister security agencies has so far recaptured 10 fleeing inmates and taken them into custody, while still in a hot chase to recapture the rest.”
Duza noted that the NCoS is not unmindful of the fact that many of its facilities were built during the colonial era and that they are old and weak.
He added that the Service is making frantic efforts to see that all ageing facilities give way to modern ones.
“This is evidenced in the ongoing construction of six number of 3000-capacity ultra-modern custodial centres in all the geo-political zones in Nigeria as well as the ongoing reconstruction and renovation of existing ones.
“The Service assured the public that it is on top of the situation and that they should go about their businesses without fear or hindrance.
“The public is further enjoined to look out for the fleeing inmates and report any suspicious movement to the nearest security agency”, Duza pleaded.
Edited by Dawud Ahmed.
