By Gift Habib
Two years after the attack on the Owerri Custodial Centre in Imo State, 864 fleeing inmates have yet to be recaptured.
The names and images of the fleeing inmates, who were declared wanted, were sighted by our correspondent on Friday on the Ministry of Interior’s website.
According to the Nigeria Correctional Service, the Owerri Custodial Centre in Imo State was attacked by gunmen, who forcefully released a total of 1,844 inmates in custody.
The attackers, who stormed the facility on April 5, 2021, gained entrance into the yard by using explosives to blast the administrative block.
They arrived at the centre in large numbers in several Hilux pick-up vans and Sienna buses, armed with sophisticated weapons and immediately engaged the security personnel on duty in a fierce gun battle.
The FG ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident. However, findings by our correspondent showed that the pictures of 864 fleeing inmates from the Owerri Custodial Centres are still on the ministry’s website.
The profile of the inmates could not be viewed properly to ascertain if any had been recaptured.
The NCoS spokesperson, Umar Abubakar, had yet to respond to inquiries from our correspondent on the latest updates on the fleeing inmates at the time of filing this report.
However, a security expert, Chidi Omeje, said as long as the inmates were still at large, more attacks would continue, especially in the North.
Omeje stated “It is a big issue and the implications are dire. It pretty much explains why we keep having recurring bandit and terrorist attacks in North Central, and North West because it is believed that those who escaped are high-profile terrorists.
“The fact that they have escaped and have yet to be recaptured means that they might have moved into the forests which might be responsible for killings in Kaduna, Sokoto, etc. It calls for concern.”
