The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has blamed negligence by some officers of the Nigerian correctional service as responsible for the jail break that occurred at Koton Karfe, Kogi State correctional center. Recall Vigil360 reported an incident of jailbreak, which occurred in the early hours of Monday at Koton Karfe, Kogi state that saw about 12 inmates escape.
Accordingly, the Minister had ordered an immediate investigation into the matter emphasizing that the use of the Nigeria Correctional Service’s (NCoS) advanced biometric systems and other technological solutions would aid in the recapture of the escapees.
The correctional center later confirmed that they have recaptured five out of the 12 escapees while seven others still at large.
However, the minister, who was a guest on Channels Television yesterday clarified that the jailbreak was not the result of an external attack, but rather an “insider involvement.”
He blamed the incident due to negligence on the part of some prison officials.
According to the minister, about seven of the escapees have been re-arrested, adding that an investigation into the incident is still ongoing.
He said: “Let me correct that we never had a jail attack, it was an insider. No walls were breached, nothing.
“It was an internal issue — negligence on the part of some of our officers. We are addressing it administratively.
“I wouldn’t say it was deliberate just yet, as the matter is still under investigation.
“However, the key point here is that if you look at the perimeter fencing, this particular administration built it, and the entire facility is secure.
“Out of the 12 individuals involved — similar to what happened before — I can confirm that, as of today, about seven have been re-arrested, if I’m not mistaken.
“This is largely due to improved biometric capability, and now we are working closely with other agencies. The situation is not like what happened in the past.”