TWELVE inmates have escaped from the Correctional Centre in Kotonkarfe, Kogi State.
The prison break occurred early in the hours of Monday, March 24.
According to Channels TV, the Kogi State Information Commissioner, Kingsley Fanwo, in a statement, described the jailbreak as ‘unfortunate’ and assured citizens that the government, in collaboration with security agencies, would take steps to prevent a repeat.
Fanwo said authorities had recaptured one of the escaped inmates and launched a thorough investigation into the incident.
The probe aims to uncover the circumstances surrounding the escape, apprehend the remaining inmates, and identify potential collaborators within the system.
He added that the governor, Usman Ododo, has instructed security agencies to prevent similar breaches in the future.
Fanwo urged the public to report suspicious individuals around them to law enforcement agents.
He encouraged residents of the state to remain calm and go about their lawful businesses.
He assured everyone that the government’s top priority remained the security of lives and property.
In a chat with The ICIR on Monday, the spokesperson of the Kogi State Police Command, William Ovye Aya, said he was on his way to the facility.
He promised to give further details after assessing the facility.
The ICIR reports that prison breaks have been recurring in Kogi State. The ICIR reported that the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) confirmed a daring attack on one of its facilities in Kabba, Kogi State, by gunmen in September 2021.
The former NCoS Spokesperson, Francis Enobore, said that no fewer than 240 inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC) after the attack.
He noted that the attackers arrived at the custodial centre heavily armed and immediately engaged the guards in a fierce gun battle.
The jailbreak comes months after gunmen attacked the Nigerian Correctional Service and the police headquarters in Imo State, freeing 1,844 inmates, after which the hoodlums set the facilities ablaze.
The gunmen also razed the Imo State Police Command headquarters and burnt almost all the vehicles parked at the command’s headquarters. No fewer than 50 cars were set ablaze in the process.
In April 2021, a similar attack was carried out at the correctional centre in Ubiaja, Edo State, but was foiled by officers at the facility.
A reporter with the ICIR
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