Two inmates escape from Kogi prison, police launch manhunt

Two convicted inmates have escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Okene, Kogi State.

The police in Kogi confirmed the incident, saying they had launched a manhunt for the escapees.

Saliu Afusat, the spokesperson for the Kogi State Police Command, said in a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES that the inmates escaped on Sunday, 8 November, at about 10:30 a.m.

She said the command received a report from the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), adding that the police were collaborating with the NCoS and other relevant security agencies to ensure the “prompt rearrest of the escapees.”

In a separate statement on Tuesday, the NCoS spokesperson, Jane Osuji, said the service had commenced measures to ensure the prompt recapture of the escapees.

She said the Controller-General of Corrections had ordered a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the escape, identify possible operational lapses and ensure appropriate action.

The service also said it was awaiting a comprehensive report on the incident.

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Neither spokesperson disclosed the identities of the escapees or the circumstances surrounding their escape. However, a News Point Nigeria report, quoting a police first information report (FIR), said the inmates escaped through the correctional centre’s perimeter fence.

The publication identified them as Samson David, convicted of theft, and Salvation Moro, convicted of armed robbery.

It added that photographs of the escapees were attached to the report the correctional centre submitted to the police.