The Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre in Niger State experienced a major security breach as 109 inmates escaped during a heavy rainfall that caused the walls of the facility to collapse.
The Federal Government has launched a comprehensive manhunt for the escapees and has alerted all security agencies to ensure their immediate recapture and return to the facility.
Out of the 119 escapees, 10 have already been apprehended.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, visited the facility to assess the damage and gather information on the fleeing inmates.
He emphasized the need for improved communication and information sharing within the custodial center to prevent such incidents in the future.
The government is also considering the relocation of the custodial center and plans to release the biometric information of the escapees to aid in their recapture.
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Our utmost priority is to regain control of our correctional facilities and ensure that such incidents do not occur again in Nigeria.
We are fully committed to fortifying our correctional facilities and implementing stringent security measures to prevent any future breaches.
It is evident that the existing walls of these facilities are deteriorating and vulnerable, and it is our duty to address this issue promptly.
However, we are determined to exhaust all possible measures to prevent similar incidents from happening in other correctional facilities across the country.
Restoring the security and integrity of our correctional facilities is of paramount importance. We acknowledge the shortcomings in the current infrastructure and accept the responsibility to rectify them.
Nevertheless, we are resolute in our efforts to ensure that such occurrences are effectively prevented in other correctional facilities through comprehensive preventive measures.
