Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior, has said the prison break at federal correctional centre in the Koton Karfe area of Kogi state was as a result of some officers’ negligence.
Gatekeepers News reports that Kingsley Fanwo, Kogi state commissioner for information on Monday, disclosed that about twelve inmates escaped during the early morning jailbreak.
Tunji-Ojo ordered a probe into the incident, noting that all fleeing inmates would be captured using the service’s advanced biometric systems and existing technological solutions.
The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) later confirmed that five of the 12 inmates had already been recaptured.
Speaking on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels Television, on Thursday, Tunji-Ojo said there was no external breach of the prison walls.
The minister noted that about seven of the escapees have been re-arrested, adding that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
He said, “Let me correct that we never had a jail attack, it was an insider. No walls were breached, nothing.”
“It was an internal issue — negligence on the part of some of our officers. We are addressing it administratively.”
“I wouldn’t say it was deliberate just yet, as the matter is still under investigation.”
“However, the key point here is that if you look at the perimeter fencing, this particular administration built it, and the entire facility is secure.”
“Out of the 12 individuals involved — similar to what happened before — I can confirm that, as of today, about seven have been re-arrested, if I’m not mistaken.”
“This is largely due to improved biometric capability, and now we are working closely with other agencies. The situation is not like what happened in the past.”
