Kuje Jail-break: Authorities Identify Escapee Prisoners

• Say they’re suspected murderers
• Dambazzau: Lapses in security cause of jail break

Dele Ogbodo in Abuja

The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS), Mr. Francis Enobore, on Monday revealed the identities of the two in-mates who escaped from Kuje Prison on Saturday, saying they are still on the run.

A statement made available by NPS gave their names as: Maxwell Ajukwu, who was jailed in November 2015 for homicide and Solomon Amodu from Kogi state also sentenced for similar offence.

Meanwhile the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdurahaman Dambazzau, said the recent jail break at medium security prison in Kuje was due to security lapses which he once noticed the last time he visited the place.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja after inspecting facilities at the prison, he said the ongoing investigation of the cause of the jail-break must be taken to a logical end.

On the cause of the jail break, he said: “The last time I was here I noticed some security gap in the prison. I made my observation then with the former CG with the present controller, prisons, and I noticed the security gap and I told them precisely what to do but unfortunately this has occurred.

“Two prisoners escapes. And especially these are prisoners who are awaiting trial for murder. So, this is a very serious issue that I cannot be happy about. I think those lapses were the ones that made it possible for the escape.”