163 Edo Jailbreak Escapees Rearrested
LAGOS OCTOBER 22ND (NEWSRANGERS)-163 out of the 1,993 inmates who escaped from prison during a jailbreak occasioned by the #EndSARS protest in Edo State have been rearrested.
This is just as the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, has given a two-day ultimatum to the remaining 1,818 inmates still at large to return to the facilities or face the full wrath of the law.
Obaseki who spoke in Benin City, the Edo State capital, after embarking on an on-the-spot assessment of the facilities said the state government would not relent until the prisoners are recaptured and returned to the two prisons centres in the state.
Oko minimum prison and Sapele road correctional centre were invaded and prisoners set free by the hoodlums following Monday’s attack.
The governor was accompanied on a guided tour of the correctional centres by his deputy, Phi- lip Shaibu; representatives of the Inspector General of Police, AIG Johnson Okoye; Controller of Correctional Centre, Edo State, Babayo Maisanda, deputy Controller of the state Correctional Centre, Mr West Amayo and the manager, Mr Egbobawaye Andrew.
Condemning the invasion Obaseki said, “This is not in the spirit of the EndSARS protest. This is share criminality, the prote- sters were focusing on reform of our policing system in the country and not to destroy prisons and release inmates.
You can tell that there are criminal intention behind this act than the #EndS- ARS protest in Edo which was hijacked by criminals and they used the opportunity to come and release their colleagues.
“We condemn the act whole- heartedly and we expect that even the #EndSARS organizers would join us in condemning this dastardly act.
Government cannot sit down and allow a breakdown of law and order in our
society.
“Having seen the level of destruction that has taken place, we have to move
swiftly into action.
It is unfortunate, the Inspector General of Police understanding the gravity of what happened in Edo asked the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Celestine Okoye to come to Benin to assist in putting the situation under control.
“We are fortunate that the Commander-in-chief has also allowed the military
to come and support the police in stabilizing the situation in Edo. I want to
reiterate that our government supports that individuals and citizens in the
society should have
their rights legitimately. We have failed.
nothing against the EndSARS Maisanda also added that spector General of Police,
“We know some of the inmates have been released. We are using this opportunity to call on all inmates in our correctional facilities who have escaped to come back on their own before the close of business on Friday this week.
“However, for those who don’t report back after Friday night we have their records and biometrics we would go after them and by this time when they come back the appropriate action will be meted against them”.
Earlier, the Controller of Correctional centre, Edo state, Babayo Maisanda,
disclosed that 163 inmates have so far been recaptured and returned to the
centre, while the total number of fleeing escapees still at large stands at 1,
818.
He added that 10 officers who sustained various degrees of injuries are
currently receiving treatments at various hospitals in Benin.
He lamented that for six hours the correctional centers were under siege and all efforts to get help from sister security agencies there was urgent need to further secure and enhance repairs to the damaged facilities to secure the inmates already captured.
Leadership
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