Scores of inmates have reportedly escaped detention at the federal correctional center located in Suleja, Niger state, following a rainstorm in the town on Wednesday night.
The storm accompanied by heavy rain started around 8 pm destroying a section of the fence in the facility, situated just opposite the emir’s palace in the commercial town.
The report was confirmed in a statement, on Thursday morning, by the spokesman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) command of the Nigerian correctional services (NCoS), Adamu Duza. He said a total of 118 inmates escaped.
“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.
“The service has immediately activated its recapturing mechanisms, and in conjunction with sister security agencies, has so far recaptured 10 fleeing inmates and taken them into custody, while we are in hot pursuit to recapture the rest.
“The service is not unmindful of the fact that many of its facilities were built during the colonial era and that they are old and weak. The Service is making frantic efforts to ensure that all aging facilities give way to modern ones.”
“The Controller of Corrections, FCT Command, Francis John, wishes to assure the public that the service is on top of the situation and that they should go about their normal businesses without fear or hindrance,” the statement read.
A resident, Abdullahi Nura, told reporters that the inmates overpowered officials on duty and escaped toward different directions, with some of them throwing stones toward volunteers who had attempted to block them.
It was learnt that three of the inmates were later re-arrested in the night around the neighborhood hosting the facility, with many others were apprehended on Thursday morning around Rafinsanyi, and Kwankwaso axis, located along the Suleja-Madalla road.
Normalcy has since returned to Suleja town after the initial panic while a search is still ongoing to recover some of the prisoners.
