The federal government says it is considering relocating the medium security custodial center in Suleja, Niger state, following the jailbreak that saw the escape of about 119 inmates.
The minister of interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure when he visited the facility on Thursday. The minister revealed the facility houses 499 inmates, as opposed to the expected 250 that it was initially built for.
“This is a testimony of what we keep talking about – overcrowding of our correctional homes. You can look at the environment, it shows that we need to relocate them away from city centres to create better space, better security and better infrastructure,” he said.
The minister further revealed that 10 of the initial 119 inmates that escaped have been rearrested and confirmed reports that the facility management planned to release the names and photos of the escaped inmates.
The minister assured that steps are being considered to ensure there is no repeat of the incident. “This could have been avoided if the right information was disseminated at that appropriate time, on the structure.
“We will get them back and we will ensure this doesn’t happen again anywhere in the country,” he said.
