Prison Attack in Nasarawa Injures Five Officers, 16 Inmates Flee
Five officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) were injured on Tuesday when 16 inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Keffi, Nasarawa state.
The incident occurred in the early hours of the day when some inmates attacked personnel on duty, injuring two officers.
Abubakar Umar, spokesperson of the NCoS, said seven of the fleeing inmates have so far been recaptured and returned to custody.
“In the course of containing the situation, five (5) personnel of the custodial centre sustained varying degrees of injury, with two currently serious and receiving urgent medical attention at a government health facility,” Umar said in a statement.
He added that: “Seven (7) of the fleeing inmates have been recaptured and are now in custody.”
The controller-general of corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, visited the facility after the jailbreak and ordered a full investigation.
According to the statement, “He said no staff will be spared if found culpable. Furthermore, he has directed an immediate search to recapture the fleeing inmates in collaboration with sister security agencies.”
Members of the public have been urged to assist in the manhunt. “Members of the public are hereby urged to remain calm, vigilant, and to promptly report any suspicious movements or sightings of fleeing inmates to the nearest security formation,” the statement reads.
Security agencies are continuing the search for the remaining nine escapees as investigations into the jailbreak intensify.
