The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has confirmed the escape of 119 inmates from the Medium Security Custodial Centres in Suleja, Niger State, following a rainstorm, which destroyed parts of the facility’s structures on Wednesday night.
NCoS, however, said it consequently activated its recapturing mechanisms, and in conjunction with sister security agencies, has so far recaptured 10 fleeing inmates and taken them into custody while it was in hot chase to recapture the remaining 109 on the run.
Major news platforms had earlier reported that an unspecified number of inmates escaped from the old Suleja Correctional Centre in Suleja local government area.
The storm accompanied by heavy downpour around 9pm destroyed parts of the premises, a development that led to many of the inmates escaping from the facility.
A statement issued by NCoS FCT Command’s spokesperson, DSC A.S. Duza, on Thursday morning, said the Service was on top of the situation, urging members of the public to go about their normal businesses without fear or hindrance.
Duza noted that many of NCoS facilities were built during the colonial era, and that they are old and weak, adding that the Service was making frantic efforts to see that all ageing facilities give way for modern ones with the ongoing construction of six 3000-capacity ultra-modern custodial centres in all the geo-political zones of the country as well as the ongoing reconstruction and renovation of existing ones.
