118 Inmates Flee Suleja Prison as Facility Gives Way to Rainstorm

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

About 118 inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Suleja, Niger State have fled following the heavy downpour and subsequent destruction of part of the facility on Wednesday night.

The spokesman of the Federal Capital Territory FCT Command of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Adamu Duza, disclosed this in a statement Thursday.

He said: “A heavy downpour that lasted for several hours on the night of Wednesday, 24 April 2024 has 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.”

He revealed that the Service has immediately activated its recapturing mechanisms, and in conjunction with sister security agencies has so far recaptured 10 fleeing inmates and taken them into custody, while still in a hot chase to recapture the rest.

Duza, while lamenting the situation of the facility, said the Service is not unmindful of the fact that many of its facilities were built during the colonial era and that they are old and weak, but however added that the Service is making frantic efforts to see that all ageing facilities give way to modern ones.

He said: “This is evidenced in the ongoing construction of six number of 3,000-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.”