Kogi Jailbreak: 114 inmates recaptured – Official

 

At least 114 of the 240 correctional service inmates who escaped from one of the facilities in Kabba, Kogi State, have been recaptured, Francis Enobore, spokesperson of the service has said.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr Enobore said the recapture followed a directive from the Controller General of the correctional service, Haliru Nababa, who was on the ground to make sure the escapees were apprehended.

It may be recalled that on Saturday reported how armed men attacked the prison facility in Kabba, Kogi, North-central Nigeria, killing two officials and freeing many inmates.

The attack occurred about five months after a total of 1,844 prisoners were freed when gunmen suspected to be members of the outlawed Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) attacked a correctional facility in Owerri, Imo State.

The group had been blamed for previous attacks on security officers and facilities in the South-east and South-south regions.

It also came less than a year after hoodlums took advantage of the #EndSARS protests that rocked the country in October 2020 and broke into three Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) facilities in Edo and Ondo states.

A similar attempt was however foiled in Lagos State.

At least 2,051 inmates escaped after the jailbreaks in Edo and Ondo states while some of the inmates voluntarily returned and turned themselves in.

At least a dozen of security agents in charge of these facilities were killed during the attacks combined together.

Return or be prosecuted after recapture

Mr Enobore, in the statement, attributed the success to the collaborative efforts of sister security agencies.

He further urged the remaining escapees to voluntarily return in 24 hours or risk prosecution after arrest.

He reminded them that there will be no hiding place for them since their photographs and biometrics were all over the place.

“Following the swift intervention of the controller-general, 114 escapees have been recaptured.

“The controller-general, who personally led a team to the custodial center for an on-the-spot assessment, directed immediate search party response team to go after the escapees.

“This was even as security has been beefed up through the deployment of additional armed squad personnel to fortify the facility,” he said.

He also assured the public of their safety, adding that all hands were on deck to make sure not a single inmate remains in the larger society.