119 Inmates Escape Suleja Prison (See Details)

119 Inmates Escape Suleja Prison (See Details). The Nigeria Correctional Service has responded to the breach at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger State, where 119 inmates escaped.

This incident occurred after several hours of heavy rainfall on Wednesday night, causing considerable damage to the facility.

Adamu Duza, the spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory Command of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), has confirmed the escape in a statement released Thursday morning.

He explained that the heavy downpour on Wednesday night weakened the structural integrity of the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger State, leading to the destruction of parts of the facility’s walls. This enabled the inmates to exploit the damage and escape.

Duza reported, “A heavy downpour that lasted for several hours on the night of Wednesday, 24 April 2024 has wreaked havoc on the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Suleja, Niger state, as well as surrounding buildings, destroying part of the custodial facility, including its perimeter fence, giving way to the escape of a total of 118 inmates of the facility.”

He stated that the Service promptly activated its recapturing mechanisms and, in collaboration with sister security agencies, has recaptured 10 fleeing inmates. Efforts are ongoing to recapture the remaining escapees.

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Acknowledging the outdated infrastructure of many correctional facilities, Duza assured the public that efforts are being made to replace aging facilities with modern ones. He mentioned ongoing construction projects for 3000-capacity ultra-modern custodial centres across Nigeria and the renovation of existing facilities.

Duza concluded by reassuring the public of the Service’s commitment to resolving the situation and urged them to report any suspicious movements of the fleeing inmates to the nearest security agency.