Towards Averting Another Jailbreak in Ondo

With the phenomenon of rising waves of jailbreak in Nigeria, which has impacted negatively on the society and posed dangerous threats to national peace and security, the recent withdrawal of the Nigerian Army from Correctional Centres in Ondo State could easily encourage a reoccurrence across the state. Fidelis David, who writes on imperative to nip the bud before it blows into anarchy, also ponders on the capacity of Amotekun, the regional security outfit, to fill the security lacuna

On a recent Monday, Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu confirmed the withdrawal of men of the Nigerian Army from the Correctional Centers across the state. The reason for this is not known yet.

This is coming after the October 22, 2020 jailbreak in the state where 58 inmates were released from the facility in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, after thugs broke in.

The gunmen also set the police area command in the local government headquarters on fire. The thugs, who brandished weapons, carted away police rifles after setting the station ablaze. The state high court was also torched by the hoodlums. The local government secretariat, offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission and Vehicle Inspection Office were vandalised.

Statistics of Nationwide Jailbreaks

According to the dictates of Nigerian law, jailbreak is an illegal or unlawful act under which a prisoner forces his or her way out of the prison in a state. According to statistics, in year 2021alone, 5,238 inmates escaped from various prisons across Nigeria and there were 15 incidents of jailbreaks within that period, and eight were successful, while the prison break in Jos on December 2021 was the last of such jailbreaks.

By the official records of the Nigerian Correctional Service, the current population of inmates across correctional facilities in the country is 70,237. This figure is way higher than the 57,278 inmates carrying capacity of correctional facilities in the country, as revealed by the Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola earlier in 2021.

Withdrawal of Soldiers from Checkpoints, Correctional Centres
The governor’s confirmation is coming two months after the withdrawal of military personnel from checkpoints across the 18 local governments of Ondo State. At that time, it was reported that the withdrawal was triggered by non-payment of the soldiers’ allowances for months, an obligation that predated the advent of the Rotimi Akeredolu administration.

Other media organisations reported that the incident was triggered by a cold war between the Brigade Commander of 32 Artillery Brigade, Brigadier General Yakubu Yerima and the Corp Commandant of Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, stressing that the rift between the officers had been on for some time now.

The report noted that the army commander ordered that all military checkpoints be dismantled, just as he directed the affected soldiers to return to the barracks, after staying away from state Security Council meetings in the last six months.

In the latest incident, Akeredolu wondered why soldiers will be withdrawn from correctional centers which belong to the federal government. While condemning in strong terms, the incident, he accused the army of inducing steps toward jail breaks.

While it is well understood that the breakdown of security across the country has led to a surge in frequent prison breaks, kidnapping and banditry, it is pertinent to state that the latest action by the military in Ondo State could easily encourage jail breaks across the state.

However, it is pertinent to state that even with the presence of the soldiers, we still have cases of jail breaks across the country. Which now begs the question of what happens when the criminals now have a field day because of the failure of the stakeholders involved?

As the ace investigative journalist and right fighter, Tosin Ajuwon rightly observed, “we hope someone will challenge this action, not for our interest but the interest of the people and security of the sunshine state and facility.

“The withdrawal of these soldiers, honestly, portend a major threat to that facility and it’s already giving us as residents ominous signs of dangers ahead. Ondo must be secure. The news of those trailed from our border town and arrested with weapons is still fresh in our memory.

“I do hope we all raise our voices to condemn this and demand the immediate return of soldiers back to that facility to avoid possible jailbreak! Who knows the plan? Nothing is impossible in Nigeria,” Ajuwon added.

Proactive Measures

Well, Akeredolu has also assured that he has met with other security heads in the state, particularly the police and charged them to take over their responsibility of internal security in the state, this is we see as a right step in a right direction.

He said: “It is, however, pertinent to alert members of the public and the federal government of this unwholesome situation. Findings into the remote cause of this action has only revealed that it was an order from above without corresponding details.

“The situation not withstanding, proactive efforts have been made to secure these centers so as not to allow premeditated jail breaks as whoever gave order to withdraw those soldiers was in the process of encouraging such.

“While we believe that the federal government has a duty to protect the prisons, we are more concerned about the security of our people across the state. A jailbreak will not only threaten the peaceful atmosphere we are enjoying in the state, it will pose serious danger to our people .

“Similarly, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) whose main assignment is to secure Federal Government facilities, has also deployed armed officers to the correctional facilities.

He added that he has also directed the deployment of men of the State Security Network (Amotekun) to complement the police and the NSCDC. This is to ensure that any premeditated action is tamed and resisted with commensurate force.”

PDP’s Position and Ondo Government’s Counter Reaction

Not satisfied with the development, the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary in the state, Kennedy Peretei, described the withdrawal of soldiers from the state as dangerous saying it will further expose the people of the state to danger.

“In the last one year, no fewer than 11 traditional rulers have been kidnapped, while one first-class Oba, the Olufon of Ifon, Oba Isreal Adeusi, was murdered in cold blood by gunmen.

“The PDP joins other well-meaning Ondo State citizens to appeal to Governor Akeredolu, to immediately pay the outstanding allowances due to the security personnel without further delay”.

Reacting, the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Donald Ojogo, warned the opposition PDP not to politicise the situation but said the state government is more particular about the safety of lives and property of people of the state.

Ojogo said PDP attacks on the state government is designed to discredit the state security outfit, Amotekun, and lambasted the opposition for playing up the issue of non-payment of allowance to the military.

“The Ondo State government desires not to go into the merits of the flying story about non-payment of allowances to any arm of the military. It deserves no such efforts more so, that, the concerned arm of the military has yet to issue any statement in that regard.

“It must be noted that notwithstanding the politicisation of any situation, the Ondo State Government ably led by Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, shall not, under whatever circumstances, succumb to blackmail and allow any puerile allegation wrapped under ethnicised platforms to wrought further violence on our people.

“It must clear to all, including the PDP, that, the target is AMOTEKUN. Unfortunately for whoever whose motive is to perpetuate violence under any guise, our resolve to sustain AMOTEKUN remains unwavering. We won’t be deterred in any form. Our time-tested character and attitude toward tackling insecurity even at odd times, shall not be compromised.

“The spurious efforts of the opposition PDP to weaponise a seeming situation of near sabotage, clearly shows how detached they are from the arena of vigilance.
To them, everything is politics and politics must be infused into everything, including the safety and welfare of the people. No discerning group could have bought into such cheaply brandished propaganda.

“The ignorantly appraised security situation by the PDP is an inelegant manifestation that they would rather dance on the blood of innocent South-Westerners on the altar of politics for patronage than stand firm in defence of their people.”

The Police Takeover of Military Checkpoints

Since the withdrawal, policemen have been drafted to mount the checkpoints and inter state boundaries.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Bolaji Salami, said he deployed the men in order to curb plans by criminals to capitalise on the security situation of the state.

Bolaji who spoke through the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Funmi Odunlami said, “after what happened, we have deployed our men to those axes because people have been apprehensive of probable breach of security in those areas and that is why we have to act now to allay fears of residents and motorists.”

But for the residents, the quick resort to the deployment of police to military checkpoints across the state seems odd and abysmal. This is because since the deployment of policemen to the checkpoints, the primary duty of the police personnel at those checkpoints have allegedly been ‘extortion’.

Is Amotekun Truly Filling Vacuum Created by the Soldiers Withdrawal?

On November 4, 2021, Governor Akeredolu, said the State Security Network Agency codenamed ‘Amotekun Corps’, is effectively filling the vacuum created by the overstretched conventional security agencies, particularly the police in the state.

He noted that the Amotekun Corps is a product of circumstance which is essentially created to fill the obvious security gap in the state for the security of all.

This beggars the question if they are truly filling the lacuna because even with the presence of the soldiers, the people don’t sleep with their two eyes closed, what happens when the criminals now have a field day, because of the lapses created by the stakeholders involved in this saga?

Also, with both Amotekun and soldiers refusing to clarify their positions, residents of Ondo State and Nigerians as a whole may not know whether unpaid allowances caused the disaffection or something more calamitous.

Meanwhile, these successful jailbreaks is making a mockery of the arrests of criminals by the police and other security agencies, because with these jailbreaks, there is bound to be an exponential increase in crimes and criminalities in the country, thus, the federal government must rise to occasion, intervene, and order the redeployment of soldiers across correctional centers in Ondo state.

On this note, residents of Ondo State have pinned the words of the state governor who said he was more bothered about the overflow effect of the soldiers withdrawal on the security situation in the state. Moreso that such action could easily encourage jail breaks across the state.

Be as it may, the primary responsibility of any responsible government is the protection of lives and properties, so it is none of the citizens’ concern whether the withdrawal was due to non payment of allowances or a cold war between Amotekun and the military.

All what residents of Ondo State want is adequate security, this, government must deem important and make moves to ameliorate it.

On a final note, stakeholders involved must rise up to occasion and avert a recurrence of the October 22, 2020 jailbreak in Ondo State where 58 inmates were released from the facility in Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state.

Quotes

The withdrawal of these soldiers, honestly, portend a major threat to that facility and it’s already giving us as residents ominous signs of dangers ahead. Ondo must be secure. The news of those trailed from our border town and arrested with weapons is still fresh in our memory

The situation not withstanding, proactive efforts have been made to secure these centers so as not to allow premeditated jail breaks as whoever gave order to withdraw those soldiers was in the process of encouraging such