15 incidents of jailbreaks: I have no reason to resign — Aregbesola 

…Over 5,000 inmates still missing

…FEC approves N965.9m to purchase 49 vehicles for correctional centres

By Moses Adeniyi and Florence Abatta

Against calls for resignation over rising spate of jail break in the Country, the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has said he would not bow to pressure to resign, maintaining he has not seen enough justification for such action.

Recent spate of attacks on correctional centres across the Country have seen inmates fleeing from custody into the communities, while search for rearrest has become a common feature following the tolls of attacks.

Recall that on the 22nd October, 2021,  the Abolongo Correctional Centre in Oyo town, Oyo State, suffered an invasion by unknown gunmen who invaded the facility – a development that opened the gate for no less 837 awaiting trial inmates fleeing from the Correctional Centre.   In September, hundreds of prisoners had similarly escaped from the medium Federal Correctional Centre in Kabba, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State. Gunmen in their tens had attacked the prison centre which is on the Kabba – Lokoja highway, on a Sunday night through Monday morning, killing the military men keeping guide on the road before attacking the centre.

In April, some gunmen had attacked the Imo Police Command Headquarters and a Correctional Centre with explosives and freed some inmates. The gunmen were said to have operated with no fewer than 10 vehicles overpowering the security guards at the police command.  In the attack, no less than 1,844 prisoners were reportedly.

Last month, 28th November, the Jos Medium Security Custodial Centre suffered an attack that left about 262 inmates fleeing.

Since the jail attacks in Benin and Ondo at the wake of #ENDSARS protest where about 2,051 inmates reportedly escaped, there have been at least 13 other jail attacks of which about six have been successful.

Investigation revealed that over 5,000 inmates are yet to return to the correctional centres despite the ongoing rearrest exercise.

The Minister in his briefing to State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the presidential villa, Abuja, on Wednesday also said that the Federal Government is putting in place measures to make the Correctional Centers impenetrable.

Aregbesola who argued that “the custodial facilities are the final end of justice administration,” maintained that the state (country) morally owes itself the responsibility of safe custody that must not be violated

Aregbesola who said he has not yet seen any need for his resignation, argued  that the successful attacks were not a function of lack of preparedness.

According to him, there were several factors responsible for the attacks including the security situation in the Country.

He said that a number of prison officials died defending the custodial centers, which according to him, was the highest form of honor for the country.

He said, “Imo was in April this year. Kabba was in September. Abologo was in October and Jos was in November. Those captured the attacks.

“As painful as those attacks were, very painful, nobody will really want the end of justice to be so vulnerable.

“The custodial facilities are the final end of justice administration.

“So, morally, the state owes itself the responsibility of safe custody that must not be violated.

“On that account alone, we must appreciate the enormity of any successful attack on custodial facilities, and I so do.

“But I want us to put this thing in the context of our security situation.

“When your best does not suffice, it’s no longer a question of your inability to make preparation or failure for preparation or preparedness.

“It’s just that at that instance, you just couldn’t hold the defence and several factors are responsible.

“What I can assure Nigerians is this. Yes, as contextual as these attacks and the successes such criminals are having, we are upping our game and we will not allow it to continue. We will prevent any such opportunistic attack and even make it impossible. And that is what the state must do.

“We are working with all arms of government particularly the security to make our custodial facilities impregnable.

“We will not rest until that is achieved. That’s the assurance I shall give Nigerians.

“As to whether it calls for my resignation, I still don’t see any need for that because it’s not for lack of preparedness that the attacks were successful. No.”

Since the #ENDSARS protests in 2020 which saw the successful invasion of custodial facilities in Benin, Edo State, and Ondo, with inmates set free, the attacks on Correctional Centres  have become a waving phenomenon.

Nigerian Correctional Service to receive N965.9m to purchase 49 vehicles

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has also approved the sum of N965.9 million for the purchase of 49 operational vehicles to enhance the services of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said this on Wednesday while addressing journalists at the end of the FEC meeting in Abuja.

Aregbesola noted that the Buhari-led administration has been committed to ensuring that the Correctional Service was provided with operational tools to meet its mandate of keeping the facilities safe.

He added that necessary logistic support meant to move inmates from the facilities to the over 5022 courts scattered all over Nigeria were also being provided by the government.

Speaking on the recent calls for his resignation as a result of the frequent attack on correctional facilities across the country, the minister dismissed the call, saying there was no need for such calls.

He said, “The Nigerian Correctional Service through the Ministry of Interior presented a memo to council and obtained approval to spend the sum of N965, 902, 524.58 to procure 49 operational and Green Maria vehicles.

“These 49 vehicles will complement the 513 operational and Green Maria vehicles already purchased between 2016 and 2020.

“This does not in any way mean that we have met the vehicle needs of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

“Our facility in Imo was attacked in April, Kabba was in September, Abulungu was in October and Jos was in November; just to capture the attacks. As painful as those attacks were, nobody will really wants the end of justice to be so vulnerable.

“The custodial facilities are the final end of criminal justice system because such facilities are the ultimate end of the administration of justice.

“So, morally, the State owes itself the responsibility of safe custody that must not be violated

“So, on that account alone, we must appreciate the enormity of any successful attack on our custodial facility and I so do.

“But I want us to put these things in the context of our security situation.

“In Jos, our men died, meaning that the best we could put there was there and when your best could not suffice, it means that it is no longer a question of inability to make preparation or failure for preparedness it is just that at that instance we could not just hold the defence as expected.

“We are upping our game and we will prevent any such opportunistic attack and even make it impossible.

“We are working with all arms of government particularly security to make our custodial facilities impregnable and we will not rest until that is achieved; that is the assurance I want to give Nigerians.

“As to whether it calls for my resignation, I still don’t see any need for that because it is not for lack of preparedness that the attacks were successful,” he stated.