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119 Inmates Flee As Rainstorm Wrecks Suleja Prison
Several prisoners reportedly managed to flee from Suleja Correctional Facility in Niger State amidst a heavy downpour on Wednesday night.
According to reports, the rainfall not only affected the prison but also caused damage to the surrounding areas in Niger and the neighbouring Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
It was gathered that a group of inmates took advantage of the situation and broke free.
Eyewitness Abdullahi Nura mentioned that the prisoners overwhelmed the guards and ran off in various directions. Additionally, it was noted that some of the escapees even threw stones at volunteers who tried to stop them.
“Some parked vehicles had their screens damaged due to the action of the escaping inmates,” Daily Trust quoted Nura saying.
It was said that three of the inmates who escaped were apprehended in Suleja shortly after their escape, while others were captured in the areas of Rafinsanyi and Kwankwaso along the Suleja-Madalla road on Thursday morning.
The prison authorities have not yet issued a statement regarding the incident, which serves as a reminder of the previous incident where suspected terrorists took control of Kuje Prison in Abuja two years ago.
During the operation that lasted for several hours, all suspects in the cells where the terrorists were held were released.
In a statement issued on Thursday morning, the spokesman of the Federal Capital Territory FCT Command of the Nigeria Correctional Service NCoS, Adamu Duza, confirmed that one hundred and nineteen (119) inmates escaped from the prison.
He said, “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”.
Duza mentioned that the Service is fully aware that a number of its facilities were constructed during the colonial period and are now outdated and fragile. He also stated that the Service is working tirelessly to ensure that all outdated facilities are replaced with modern ones.
“This is evidenced in the ongoing construction of six number of 3000-capacity ultra-modern custodial centres in all the geo-political zones in Nigeria as well as the ongoing reconstruction and renovation of existing ones.
“The Service wishes to assure the public that it is on top of the situation and that they should go about their businesses without fear or hindrance.
“The public is further enjoined to look out for the fleeing inmates and report any suspicious movement to the nearest security agency”, said Duza.
Nation Post reports that Nigeria has experienced numerous jailbreaks over the years, prompting the government to pledge its commitment to apprehending the escaped inmates.
However, many of these individuals remain at large, even years after their unlawful escape.
