From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered an immediate probe into the prison jailbreak at the Koton Karfe Correctional Centre in Kogi State.
In a statement, the minister described the incident as unfortunate and vowed to ensure all fleeing inmates are captured, leveraging the service’s robust biometrics and already deployed technology solutions.
The minister has also ordered the Acting Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Sylvester Ndidi, to visit the facility in Kogi to evaluate the situation and commence a comprehensive audit to unravel the events that led to the incident.
“We are on top of the situation. Our men are on the ground in Kogi, and I have ordered a comprehensive audit of the situation,” he said.
Four days ago, at the Annual Press Briefing organised by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in Abuja, Tunji-Ojo said that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has recorded two jailbreaks and no jail attacks.
A jailbreak, he explained, is organised by the inmates, while a jail attack is organised from outside the prison.
He noted that the ministry had put in place a proactive policing system, which made it possible for the inmates in Suleja Prison who escaped after a heavy flood felled their fence to be rearrested within 48 hours.
Tunji-Ojo also noted that in one year, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the promotion of 52,000 paramilitary officers, and the ministry has started another promotion examination for 2025.