The House of Representatives has called on the Nigerian Correctional Service to provide a detailed account of the inmates who escaped from the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre in 2022.
The House has directed its Committees on Reformatory Institutions, Interior, and Police Affairs to collaborate with the heads of relevant security agencies to compile a comprehensive report on the status of the escaped inmates.
According to the resolution, the committees are expected to present their findings to the House within six weeks for further legislative action to be taken.
Emmanuel Ukpong–Udo, the member representing Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State, sponsored the motion that led to the House’s decision.
The Islamic State in West African Province claimed responsibility for the July 2022 attack on the Kuje Custodial Centre. This attack resulted in the escape of numerous Boko Haram suspects.
During the debate, Ukpong-Udo highlighted that “On July 5, 2022, a jailbreak at Abuja’s Kuje Medium Custodial Facility led to 879 inmates, including 64 Boko Haram terrorists, escaping, and 422 of them remain at large or yet to be recaptured by security agencies.”
The House also emphasized the need for the Nigeria Correctional Service to provide a comprehensive report on inmates and devise effective methods to trace the escapees and their accomplices using the available database.
Expressing concern, the House noted the presence of law-abiding citizens among the 350 escapees with diverse offences. This poses a significant security risk as daily crimes are committed without any leads to the perpetrators.
It is worrisome that a year after the jailbreak, the escapees are still at large, blending into different communities and potentially continuing their criminal activities without detection. Therefore, urgent measures need to be implemented to track down and apprehend these individuals.
