The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has said that over 1, 200 inmates out of the 1, 844 inmates who escaped from the Owerri custodial centre are still at large following the April 5 attack on the facility by gunmen.

Spokesperson of the facility, Goodluck Uboegbulam told Daily Trust that only about 600 of them have either voluntarily returned or rearrested by the security operatives.

Urging members of the public to give useful information that would aid the centre in re-arresting the fleeing inmates, Uboegbulam added that the centre had intensified efforts in ensuring that the fleeing inmates were re-arrested and to prevent future recurrence.

He said;

“As it stands, over 1, 200 out of the 1844 fleeing inmates from our custody are still at large.

“However, over 600 have either voluntarily returned or recaptured. But we are hopeful that many more will voluntarily return because they have been returning almost on daily basis.

“After the attack, we have undertaken several measures, such as going through different media and exploring possible avenues aimed at getting results.

“In fact, we have gone as far as writing to the churches, community and village heads, letting them know the dangers in allowing the fleeing inmates to hide within our communities.

“And with this, what it has yielded so far is the voluntary return of some of these fleeing inmates.

“But one irony is that most of the families and parents of these fleeing inmates don’t understand the implications of what we are saying.

“Some of them say ‘Oh! thank God, finally our sons have been set free’ but the price of that freedom is such that, that individual can not work anywhere, cannot do any job, can not open a shop anywhere because he is a fugitive.

“So, that is why we are still using every available medium to appeal to public spirited individuals, groups, churches and village heads to help us out. This is because all these fleeing inmates, they all hail from our communities.

“We or the police cannot do it all alone. We need support and cooperation of the people. We are appealing to the public to avail us of every information that will lead to re-arresting them.”

Men of the Ogun State Police Command on Tuesday, arrested a 52 year-old man, identified as Kayode Adeniyi for having a carnal knowledge of a 10 year-old girl (named withheld).

The suspect was arrested, following a complaint lodged at Agbado divisional headquarters of the police by the aunty of the victim.

In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abeokuta, the state capital by the command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Oyeyemi Abimbola, he said the suspect forcefully dragged his victim to his apartment where he committed the offence, when the minor went to inquire about a missing cloth from his daughter in their neighbourhood.

Oyeyemi explained that the suspect “dragged her into the room, covered her mouth with pillow and had sexual intercourse with her.”

The PPRO further stated that the aunty of the victim, in her report, explained that the suspect threatened to kill the minor with knife if she make noise.

“On the strength of the report, the Divisional Police Officer of Agbado Division, CSP Kehinde Kuranga, detailed his detectives to the scene, where the suspect was promptly arrested.

“On interrogation, the suspect confessed having carnal knowledge of the victim forcefully, he also admitted that he threatened the victim with knife and that is why she couldn’t make noise until he satisfied his sexual urge,” he said.

Oyeyemi also stated that further investigation into the past activities of the suspect revealed that, Adeniyi has being sexually abusing his three under-aged biological daughters prior to the defilement of the 10 year-old child, but denied it.

“The victim has been taken to General Hospital for medical examination and treatment,” the PPRO added.

The PPRO further explained that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, has ordered the Police Family Support Unit (FSU) at the Sango-Ota Area Command to take over the case for an indepth investigation and diligent prosecution.