Minna Jailbreak: 30 Inmates Recaptured, 180 Escaped

Laleye Dipo in Minna

Following the combined efforts of the Nigerian Prison Service (NPS) and other security agencies in Niger State, 30 out of the 210 inmates that escaped from Minna Medium Security Prison on Sunday night have been recaptured.

The Minister of Interior, Gen. Abdulrahman Dabazzau (rtd), disclosed this during an on-the-spot assessment of the prison with the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani-Bello.

The minister, who revealed that the federal government is building 3,000 capacity prison in each geopolitical zone and recruit 6,000 personnel, admitted that there were security lapses at Minna Prison.

“There are security gaps to be addressed in the prisons such as manpower, decongestion,” he said.

Also speaking, the Niger State Governor Sani-Bello called for more commitment to duties, adding that the state government would work with the federal government on prison reforms.

“I will like to appeal to public servants generally to take their jobs seriously. Niger State Government will collaborate with the federal government to improve infrastructure of prisons across the state,” he said.

In his comment, the Comptroller General of Prison, Jaafaru Ahmed, said an investigative panel had been set up to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the jailbreak.

Sani-Bello, Dabazzau, and Ahmed were accompanied by heads of security agencies in the state.

Others include members of Niger State Executive Council, top government officials from Ministry of Interior and senior prison officers from Nigerian Prison Service Headquarters.

It was earlier reported on Sunday, that at about 8pm, there was a jailbreak at Minna Medium Security Prison located at Tunga area of Minna metropolis perpetuated by armed criminals who attacked the prison and gained access after exchange of fire with prison armed men.

The attack by the unknown gunmen left two people — one of them Ahmed Shekarau, an official of the Nigerian Prisons Service and the son of the Chief Imam of Wushshi central mosque and an Okada rider — dead.

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