Twelve inmates have escaped the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Koton Karfe, Kogi State following an early morning jail break.
Sources in the National Headquarters of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), revealed that the incident occurred early Monday morning.
Confirming the report, National Spokesman of the Service, Abubakar Umar, told newsmen that all the escapees were Awaiting Trial Inmates, (ATI), but two have been captured while efforts are underway to arrests the other ten.
He said all search mechanisms have are being deployed to recapture the fleeing inmates.
“Twelve of the inmates in our custody at the Koton Karfe medium custodial centre have escaped. They are all on awaiting trial but as I speak to you now two have been captured,” he said.
“We are already working to capture the remaining inmates on the run.”
Umar also said that one officer was killed in the attack.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has directed an immediate investigation into a prison break incident at the Koton Karfe Correctional Centre in Kogi State.
The Minister pledged to ensure that all fleeing inmates are captured leveraging the service’s robust biometrics and already deployed technology solutions.
A statement by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Interior, Babatunde Alao, on Monday, March 24 reads: “The Minister of Interior, Hon. (Dr.) Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered immediate probe into the unfortunate prison break incident at the Koton Karfe Correctional Centre in Kogi State.
“The Minister describes the incident as unfortunate, and vows to ensure all fleeing inmates are captured leveraging the service’s robust biometrics and already deployed technology solutions.
“The Minister has also ordered the Acting Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Sylvester Ndidi, to visit the facility in Kogi to evaluate the situation, and commence a comprehensive audit to unravel the events that led to the incident.
” ‘We are on top of the situation. Our men are on ground in Kogi, and I have ordered a comprehensive audit of the situation’, ” he said.
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