The Federal Government has ordered security agencies to do everything humanly possible to recapture all 109 fleeing inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger State.
Minister of Interior Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo issued the directive during his visit to the Centre for an on-the-spot assessment of the damage caused by the rainstorm, which led to the escape of 119 inmates on Wednesday night.
The torrential downpour wreaked havoc on the facility, including breaching the perimeter fence, allowing some inmates to flee.
Tunji-Ojo stated that the Federal Government would relocate the Custodial Centre from its current location due to its entanglement with urbanization.
According to the prison authorities, the Medium Security Custodial Centre, situated amidst residential buildings, was built in 1914. The Minister admitted that the walls were now very old and infirm.
Tunji-Ojo disclosed that before the incident, the facility housed 499 inmates, exceeding the expected capacity of 250 it was initially built for.
Addressing questions from journalists, the Minister stated, “There was a breach of the outer wall of the facility after the storm last night, and some inmates escaped. We have recaptured 10 out of the 119; 109 are still at large. A manhunt is presently ongoing. We will do everything humanly possible to ensure each of them is brought back.”
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Tunji-Ojo assured Nigerians that measures were being implemented to restore order. He also stated that his Ministry was working behind the scenes to devise a correctional system beneficial to Nigerians, expressing optimism that such incidents would not occur again in any other facility.
“This facility was built in 1914 to accommodate 250 inmates. Before this incident, we had 499. This illustrates the overcrowding in our correctional homes. We need to relocate them away from city centers to create better space, security, and infrastructure,” he emphasized.
The Minister was accompanied on the visit by the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, and other top management staff of the Ministry of Interior.
Earlier, the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Adamu Duza, in a statement released to the press on Thursday, reported that no fewer than 119 inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger state.
Duza revealed that the Service had immediately activated its recapture mechanisms and, in conjunction with sister security agencies, had recaptured 10 fleeing inmates and returned them to custody.
The statement read: “A heavy downpour that lasted for several hours on the night of Wednesday, April 24, 2024, wreaked havoc on the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger state, as well as surrounding buildings, destroying part of the custodial facility, including its perimeter fence, resulting in the escape of a total of 119 inmates.
“The Service has immediately activated its recapture mechanisms, and in conjunction with sister security agencies, we have so far recaptured 10 fleeing inmates and taken them into custody, while we are in hot pursuit to recapture the rest.
“The Service acknowledges that many of its facilities were built during the colonial era and are old and weak. It is making frantic efforts to replace all ageing facilities with modern ones. This is evident in the ongoing construction of six 3000-capacity ultra-modern custodial centers in all the geopolitical zones of Nigeria, as well as the ongoing reconstruction and renovation of existing ones.
“The Service assures the public that it is on top of the situation and urges them to go about their businesses without fear or hindrance. The public is further urged to report any suspicious movement to the nearest security agency.”
