NCS Confirms Escape Of 240 Inmates From Kogi Prison

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has confirmed the escape of inmates from the Medium Security Correctional Centre in Kabba, Kogi State.

This news platform earlier reported that unknown gunmen attacked the federal facility on Sunday night, releasing hundreds of inmates in the process.

It was learnt that the gunmen killed some soldiers who mounted a barricade in the area, and killed the officers at the prison gate before invading the facility.

Confirming the jailbreak in a statement on Monday, the spokesman of the service, Francis Enobore, said about 240 inmates escaped from the facility on Sunday night.

He disclosed that unidentified gunmen arrived at the custodial centre heavily armed and immediately engaged the guards in a fierce gun battle.

Enobore added the armed men, however, overpowered the prison security officials and gained entrance into the facility.

He further disclosed that the Comptroller–General, Haliru Nababa, has ordered a recapture of all the inmates that escaped during the jailbreak.

Enobre added that the Comptroller–General has ordered a detailed investigation into the incident, even as he leads a team to assess the situation.

The NCoS spokesman, however, appealed to the general public to furnish security operatives with useful intelligence that will assist in recapturing the escapees.

Naija News reports that this development comes a few months after gunmen attacked a prison facility in Owerri, the Imo state capital, freed 1,844 inmates, and set the facility on fire.