The Federal Government has not yet released the database containing the details and photographs of the 105 inmates who escaped from the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre, Niger State, despite the 72-hour timeframe since the prison break.
A downpour on Wednesday night wreaked havoc on the custodial centre resulting in extensive damage to the facility and facilitating the escape of 119 inmates.
The downpour caused severe damage to the custodial centre’s infrastructure, including a breach in the perimeter fence, allowing inmates to flee.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, after inspecting the damage highlighted the need for reforms in over 240 custodial centres nationwide.
Tunji-Ojo pledged the Federal Government’s dedication to bringing the remaining fleeing inmates back into custody.
Ten fleeing inmates were earlier recaptured on Thursday morning and by evening, four additional fleeing inmates were arrested.
The spokesperson for the NCoS in charge of the Kuje and Suleja medium security custodial centres in Abuja, and Niger State, Adamu Duza, told our correspondent on Thursday that the service would soon display the names and pictures of the fleeing inmates.
However, a source close to the Minister of Interior, who spoke to our correspondent on Saturday, claimed the NCoS was working on the database of the fleeing inmates for publication.
He said, “The NCoS is working on the database of the fleeing inmates. That is all I know about it. Once it is ready, I will let you know.”
Efforts to get the spokesperson for NCoS, Umar Abubakar, on the subject matter proved abortive as he ignored our correspondent’s call, and was yet to respond to his WhatsApp message after viewing it.
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As of Sunday morning, our correspondent observed that the names and pictures of the 105 fleeing inmates were still not published on the websites of the Nigerian Correctional Service and the Ministry of Interior.
Faulting the delay in the display of the database of the fleeing inmates from the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre, a security expert, Chidi Omeje, blamed the ineffective security system in the country, adding that, “What happened was not a jailbreak. Rain fell, and the wall collapsed. But the first thing they would have done within 24 hours after the incident was to post the pictures and the names of the fleeing inmates.
“The NCoS is the heart of the security infrastructure in Nigeria because every security agency has something to do with prisons. The delay showed that there is no proper record of inmates in Nigeria.”
Another security expert, Oladele Fajana, expressed concern that the pictures of the escapees have not been released so that the public can help the security agencies identify them for easy capture.
Fajana noted, “I am really concerned. I think the Ministry of Interior needs to rise up to the challenge and quickly publish their pictures through the NCoS so that the public can know and identify them for the security agencies to re-arrest them.
“By now, their pictures are supposed to be everywhere; if not, they would become a terror to the nation.”
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