Suleja Jailbreak-Incident: Federal-Government Vows To Prevent-Custodial Centre Failures-Across Nigeria (Details)

Suleja Jailbreak-Incident: Federal-Government Vows To Prevent-Custodial Centre Failures-Across Nigeria (Details)

The Federal Government has pledged to prevent any recurrence of incidents like the April 24 breach at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja from happening at any of its 256 custodial centers nationwide.

Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo made this commitment after inspecting the ongoing 3,000-capacity Custodial Centre in Karshi, Abuja, and the old and new custodial centers in Keffi, Nasarawa State.

Tunji-Ojo emphasized his determination to relocate some facilities impacted by urbanization challenges. He highlighted the recent Suleja incident, where heavy rainfall destroyed the walls of the custodial center, allowing 118 inmates to escape, with some still at large.

At the New Medium Security Custodial Centre in Keffi, Tunji-Ojo noted that 750 inmates were housed in a facility with a capacity of 340, with 605 of them awaiting trial. He stressed the importance of transforming correctional centers from mere incarceration sites to places of reformation and correction.

“Our correctional centers have evolved from prisons to the Correctional Service, necessitating a shift in ideology toward transformation and reformation,” Tunji-Ojo stated. He mentioned his observations during the Karshi visit, which will be addressed internally with the ministry and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

He also noted the high population in Keffi’s custodial centers, with over 1,000 inmates across two facilities, contributing to a total nearing 1,500. Tunji-Ojo reiterated the need to prevent repeats of the Suleja incident by erecting concrete perimeter fences around the facilities.