…some inmates compromised the facility’s security, leading to the escape.
KEFFI, NIGERIA – The iNews Times | Sixteen inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Keffi, Nasarawa State, in the early hours of Tuesday, following a violent security breach and an attack on correctional officers.
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Umar Abubakar, confirmed that five officers were injured while trying to contain the situation, with two currently in serious condition and receiving urgent treatment at a government hospital.
“Some inmates compromised the facility’s security, leading to the escape. In the course of containing the situation, five personnel of the Custodial Centre sustained varying degrees of injury, with two currently serious,” the statement read.
Authorities have since recaptured seven of the fugitives, but nine remain at large. The Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, MFR, mni, who visited the scene, ordered a full investigation and warned that no staff member would be spared if found complicit.
He also directed a joint manhunt with other security agencies to track down the remaining escapees. “Members of the public are hereby urged to remain calm, vigilant, and to promptly report any suspicious movements or sightings of fleeing inmates,” Nwakuche said.
The NCoS assured Nigerians of its “unwavering commitment to public safety and the security of all custodial facilities nationwide,” as preliminary investigations continue into the circumstances of the jailbreak.
