Udora Orizu in Abuja
The House of Representatives at the plenary yesterday mandated its Committee on Reformatory and Correctional Institutions to investigate various jailbreaks caused by hoodlums across the country.
The House called on the Controller-General of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) Centres to immediately reinforce the armed squad of the service as part of measures to prevent the spate of attacks on prisons across the country.
The lower chamber also called for the effective collaboration between the federal and state governments to tackle unforeseen attacks, and for security agencies to intensify efforts to recapture escapees in view of the danger they portend.
The House further resolved to amend extant rules to enable membership of the Controller-General of NCS into the National Security Council (NSC).
The resolutions were sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance, titled: ‘The need to investigate jailbreaks across the country with a view to forestalling reoccurrence’, sponsored by Hon. Chudy Momah.
Moving the motion, Momah expressed concern at the spate of attacks on correctional facilities across the country in recent times, which has become a source of internal security threat to the country.
He recalled that in the last couple of years, many cases of jailbreaks have been recorded across Nigeria instigated by both internal and external forces.
The lawmaker said the House is aware that recent jailbreaks, particularly the Owerri case, where 1,844 inmates were released and operational tools completely destroyed, have heightened insecurity in the country.
Momah said this pattern of jailbreak, the audacity and sophistication with which it was carried out, portends great danger for the country.
According to him, “Correctional centres in Borno State, Enugu State, Oko, Konto-karfe, Oyo State, Kano State, Edo State, Ondo State and Owerri among others have been attacked, and a huge number of inmates have been released into the society.
He said he was disturbed that the forewarning of the jailbreak was allegedly not acted upon by concerned security agencies to prevent the attack despite proximity to the correctional centre.
“There’s concern about the general insecurity in the country and increasing anxiety for safety of lives and property aggravated by recent jailbreaks across the country. We are worried that continuous violation of our correctional facilities, if not checked, could lead to further deterioration of current insecurity in the country,” he said.
Adopting the motion, the House gave the committee 60 days to carry out the investigation and report back to it for further legislative action.
Similarly, the House also adopted a motion on the urgent need to beef up security in Owan federal constituency in Edo State to mitigate the increase in kidnappings in the area.
The sponsor, Hon. Julius O. Ihonvbere, while moving the motion, lamented that the constituency is currently besieged by kidnappers, who now poses a threat to the peaceful existence and security of lives and property of the people.
