118 inmates escape Suleja correctional centre as rainstorm wrecks havoc

More than 100 inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Suleja, Niger state, have escaped from the facility after parts of it was destroyed during a rainstorm on Wednesday night.

Spokesman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigeria Correctional Service NCoS, Adamu Duza made this known in a statement on Thursday morning.

According to him, the heavy downpour that lasted for several hours “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 assured that the service had activated its recapturing mechanisms, and in conjunction with sister security agencies had already recaptured 10 fleeing inmates and taken them into custody, while still working to recapture others.

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Duza who said plans were on to control the number of inmates in each correctional centre.

“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.”

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