NCoS Releases Photographs of Suleja Prison Escapees

Ikechukwu Aleke in Abuja 

The Nigerian Correctional Service  (NCoS), yesterday, published the information and images of some escapees from the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Suleja, FCT Command, which resulted from the unfortunate collapse of the facility’s perimeter wall following a heavy downpour on Wednesday, 24 April, 2024. 

This publication and display of photographs of the fleeing inmates, followed a promise by the service, through its spokesperson, Abubakar Umar, at the joint press briefing of the security, defence and response agencies, at the defence headquarters in Abuja.

It would be recalled that in April 2024, no fewer than 119 inmates escaped from the medium security custodial centre, Suleja, Niger State, following an overnight torrential rainfall that damaged the walls of the prison facility.

But fielding questions from journaists, during a joint briefing at the defence headquarters on 7th June, the spokesperson of the service, Umar, announced plans to unveil the pictures of the escaped inmates, in the coming weeks.

But exactly, five weeks, four days after, the NCoS lived up to its promise and published the image and information of the fleeing inmates. 

A statement by Umar, said this has become pertinent in an effort to recapture them and bring them back to custody.

“The information of the fugitives are hereby published for sister security agencies as well as the general public to look out for them in an attempt to recapture them and bring them back to the facility,” he said. 

He also enjoined the public to cooperate with the Service to recapture these fleeing inmates as they pose danger to public safety and national security.

Informing the public that the Nigerian Correctional Service has since deployed overt and covert strategies towards recapturing all escapees, while ensuring that security in custodial facilities nationwide is beefed up to forestall any security breaches, the service also appealed to citizens to report such escapees to the nearest security agent.