Several inmates have escaped from the old Suleja Correctional Centre in Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State following a rainstorm that destroyed parts of the facility on Wednesday night.
Sources in Suleja reported that heavy rainfall caused a storm around 9 p.m., damaging sections of the custodial centre and leading to the escape of many inmates.
The rainstorm destroyed parts of the prison building, including the inner fence protecting one of the cells where inmates were housed.
A resident of Suleja confirmed the incident, stating, “We helped to arrest two of the inmates and handed them over to the prison authorities.”
Security agents have been deployed to blackspots in Suleja to search for the fleeing inmates.
Additionally, security has been beefed up on major roads such as the Minna-Suleja and Suleja-Kaduna roads, as well as the Madalla axis of the Minna-Abuja road.
While the state’s Comptroller of Prisons could not be immediately reached for comment, a senior officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) confirmed the development on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to speak to journalists.
Oreoluwa is an accountant and a brand writer with a flair for journalism.
