Twelve inmates have escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Koton Karfe, Kogi State, following an early morning jailbreak that has sparked a manhunt for the escapees.
Sources at the National Headquarters of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) confirmed to The Guardian that the incident took place early on Monday morning, with the inmates reportedly breaking free in a coordinated escape. The escapees are all Awaiting Trial Inmates (ATI).
National Spokesman for the NCoS, Abubakar Umar, confirmed the jailbreak to the platform and stated that two of the inmates had already been recaptured, with efforts ongoing to apprehend the remaining ten escapees.
Umar assured the public that all available search mechanisms were being deployed to locate and recapture the inmates.
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He said: “Two of the inmates in our custody at the Koton Karfe Medium Custodial Centre have escaped. They are all awaiting trial, but as I speak to you now, two have been captured. We are already working to capture the remaining inmates on the run.”
Tragically, Umar also revealed that one correctional officer was killed during the escape attempt. Further investigations are likely underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the officer’s death and the scale of the jailbreak operation.
Naija News reports that the Kogi State Government has since confirmed the jailbreak, with the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, issuing a statement acknowledging the development.
