From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has expressed concern over the jailbreak that occurred at Ilesa correctional centre in which 7 awaiting trial inmates escaped on Tuesday.
In a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, on Saturday, Adeleke promised to work with the Federal Government to unravel the immediate cause(s) of the jailbreak in which, currently a N5 million naira reward has been announced by the FG for useful information that will lead to the arrest of the escapees.
According to the statement, Adeleke made the promise when he led a high powered government delegation of the state including all the service chiefs from the Nigeria Police, DSS, Immigration, NSCDC, NDLEA among others to the correctional facility for an on the spot assessment.
Governor Adeleke who described the incident as ‘unfortunate,’ also declared the readiness of his government to collaborate with security agencies in the state to unravel the mystery behind the jailbreak that will lead to the eventual re-arrest of the escapees and their masterminds wherever they are anywhere in the world.
Represented Kolapo Alimi alongside the Special Adviser to the governor on Security, Barrister S.A Ojo, Adeleke commended the FG for putting in place, with immediate effect, a comprehensive investigation into the jailbreak.
He said, “On behalf of the government and good people of Osun state, I am here today to have a comprehensive look at what happened here on Tuesday, leading to the escape of 7 awaiting trial inmates from your Correctional Centre here at Ilesha.
“I want to give an assurance that Osun State Government under my watch as its Chief Executive will do everything, morally and officially possible, to stop such a jail break from reoccurring in future.
“To this end, all that needs to be done particularly illuminating the Correctional Centre the more with a multi million naira solar powered electricity as well as improving on the poor existing perimeter wall fencing of the Centre would be given a good look at, very soon by my administration.
“Both the Federal Government and Osun State Governments, would therefore put heads together with a view to addressing the present condition of the Correctional Centre to prevent future occurrences of the unfortunate act.” Ended Governor Adeleke’s remark through Oluomo Alimi.
Earlier in his address, the Controller of the Correctional Centre, Mr C.C. Oluwadele thanked the Governor and his team for the timely solidarity visit.
Reaffirming that no stone would be left unturned to re-arrest the 7 escapees, Oluwadele told the team that the escapees took advantage of the unfortunate rainfall of Tuesday to perpetrate the act.
He noted that a manhunt has been launched in addition to the biometric data of the escapees already in the public domain.