The Minister of Interior Dr. Olubumi Tunji-ojo, on April 25, 2024, hinted at the possibility of relocating the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger State. This decision comes in the wake of a jailbreak on the night of April 24, 2024, that resulted in the escape of 119 prisoners of the prison. Even with the recent escape of inmates, he urged the citizens of the state to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity they witness.
He emphasized the importance of community involvement by stating, It is crucial to speak up if anyone notices anything out of the ordinary. In order to avoid being caught again and brought back to confinement, these criminals will seek out areas where they are less likely to be apprehended. If any citizen sees any unfamiliar individuals in their neighbourhood, they have been advised to not hesitate to contact the emergency number for security and report it right away.
A total of 13 inmates who had escaped had been apprehended again.
During an immediate visit to the abandoned Suleja prison facility, he expressed his concerns about the Overcrowding of the 499 inmates, which far exceeded the original capacity of 250. The comments were made while he was accompanied by key officials from his ministry for an onsite evaluation of the damage caused. According to a recent report, it was revealed that a total of 119 prisoners made a successful escape from the prison facility due to the aftermath of a heavy rainfall that occurred on the night of the escape, causing significant destruction to the prison.
More so, the heavy rainfall, as reported by the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), resulted in significant destruction to the custodial centre’s buildings and facilities. The torrential downpour led to a break in the perimeter fence, enabling the inmates to make their getaway. Tunji-Ojo, on the other hand, revealed that a total of 13 inmates who had escaped had been apprehended again. After hearing that the facility management planned to release the names and pictures of the escaped inmates on April 24, 2024, he responded with his own unique reaction.
Security forces have been put on heightened readiness to recapture them.
Furthermore, the minister stated that security personnel have been assigned to patrol the perimeter of the facility and the surrounding areas have been secured with barricades. He stated that while some of the inmates have been recaptured and returned to confinement, there are still others who remain at large on the run. All security forces have been put on heightened readiness in order to recapture and safely return all of the escaped prisoners back into custody.
To all the kind residents of Niger State and the surrounding areas, he urged them to stay composed during this time. He told them to be confident that they will persist in upholding the country’s security within the boundaries of the law. Based in Abuja, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), previously named the Nigerian Prison Service (NPS), is responsible for managing prisons in Nigeria. Operating under the Ministry of the Interior and the Civil Defence Immigration and Correctional Service, it is a key government agency in the country.
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On August 15, 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari officially changed the name of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) to the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) when he signed the Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019 into legislation. The Nigerian Correctional Service operates within the Ministry of Interior as a vital component of the Criminal Justice System. The Nigerian Correctional Service operates solely on a federal level, meaning there are no individual State Correctional Services within the country. Each Custodial Centre is a federal facility under the jurisdiction of the national government.