The federal government has expressed determination to recapture all escapees from the Medium Security Custodial centre, Abolongo dead or alive.
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola stated this during an inspection visit to the Custodial Centre that was recently attacked.
Our correspondent who was there reports that the Oyo State governor Engineer Seyi Makinde and the Alaafin of Oyo also visited the scene.
Mr. Aregbesola who described as barbaric the trend of jailbreak in recent times said the government would fortify its security apparatus to prevent it from being overpowered by bandits.
The minister said the attack was obviously premeditated and coordinated to make Nigeria unsafe and ridicule the government, noting that the government would not fold its hands to allow a recurrence.
Mr. Aregbesola also cautioned the public not to render any assistance to any of the fleeing inmates, saying such was punishable under the law.
“Last year, we had an unfortunate case of an escaped convict that went to kill those who served as witnesses in the case against him, before he was later arrested. Of course, he would serve the remainder of his term and go for fresh trial for escaping from lawful custody and the murder of the witnesses. But the harm had been done. Thanks to those who made it possible for him to escape from custody ab initio”.
“We responded to the attacks by retraining our officers and increasing the number of armed personnel in our facilities. But Kabba again proved a different kettle of fish with the sheer number of the invaders and the sophistication of their arms and incendiary devices they brought”.
“Again, the Oyo attack came out of the ordinary. Nothing absolutely suggests that any such attack could happen or be possible, given the security measures we have put in place”.
“Let me assure Nigerians of their safety of lives and property”.
“Our custodial facilities are safe and we are putting extra safety measures in place, in light of the observed pattern of the external attacks we have seen, to prevent any such occurrence in the future”.
“This matter is being investigated and we shall leave no stone unturned to get to the root of the matter – the remote and immediate causes and the vulnerability of our system and personnel if any”.
“There shall not be a repeat of our guards being overwhelmed again. This is an anomaly that should never repeat itself. The Federal Republic of Nigeria cannot be overwhelmed. Our guards will give whatever it takes, never to be overwhelmed again”.
“We are going after every single inmate that escaped from custody. We shall hunt them to the ends of the earth. All the security agencies in the country are on their trail. We shall not rest or tire until we bring the last one in, dead or alive” he said.
While imploring the public to supply security agencies with useful information, Mr. Aregbesola gave an assurance that the federal government would handsomely reward such a gesture.
“I am assuring Nigerians that there is no hiding place for an inmate that escaped from our facilities. This is because we have the records of all the inmates, including their biometric data, which are being forwarded to Interpol, making it impossible for them to travel, apply for any travel document, engage in any financial transaction or present themselves at any border post, in any country in the world. They are fugitives and will remain on the run until we apprehend them. And we shall surely apprehend them”.
The Federal Government, however, out of magnanimity, is giving them a small window to voluntarily turn themselves in, for which they will be pardoned for escaping from custody.
“On behalf of the Federal Government, I am offering my deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the Friday attack”, Aregbesola added.
Reacting to some claims that some high profile inmates had escaped, Deputy Controller General Operations, Nigerian Correctional Service, Tukur Ahmed disclosed that Wakeel Iskilu, a suspected kidnapped kingpin terrorising the Ibarapa area and a serial killer, Sunday Shodipe were not in Abolongo.
Earlier, Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde who expressed sadness on the jailbreak directed immediate installation of Closed Circuit Television cameras and immediate grading of the roads leading to the facility.
On his part, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi commiserated with the relatives of those who lost their lives to the attack, urging the government to provide more security for correctional facilities across the country.
The correctional facility was attacked on Friday creating room for about nine hundred inmates to escape out of which three hundred and seventy-eight have been recaptured.
Adedayo Adelowo/Abisola Oluremi
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