The House of Representatives took decisive action on Wednesday, putting forth a resolution urging the Nigerian Correctional Service to provide a detailed account of the inmates who escaped from the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre in 2022.
To ensure thorough investigation and analysis, the House mandated its Committees on Reformatory Institutions, Interior, and Police Affairs to collaborate with the heads of relevant security agencies. Their task is to compile a comprehensive report on the current status of the escaped inmates. The committees have been given a timeframe of six weeks to complete their findings and present them to the House, which will then determine the appropriate legislative measures to be taken.
The motion leading to this resolution was sponsored by Emmanuel Ukpong–Udo, the representative of Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency in Akwa Ibom State. His motion drew attention to the fact that the July 2022 attack on the Kuje Custodial Centre, claimed by the Islamic State in West African Province, led to the escape of a considerable number of Boko Haram suspects and other inmates. Ukpong-Udo emphasized that out of the 879 inmates who fled during the jailbreak, 422 are still at large, posing a threat to public safety and security.
One of the underlying concerns highlighted by the House is the need for the Nigerian Correctional Service to develop a comprehensive report that includes information on the escapees and strategies to track both the inmates and those responsible for their escape by leveraging robust database systems.
Additionally, the House expressed its deep unease that among the 350 escapees who remain at large, there may be law-abiding citizens who were imprisoned for various offenses. This situation poses a major security risk, as crimes continue to occur without any trace of the perpetrators. The House further noted its distressing realization that after a year, the escaped inmates have managed to assimilate themselves within different communities, blending in and potentially engaging in further criminal activities without detection. As a result, urgent measures are required to establish effective mechanisms for tracking and apprehending these individuals to ensure public safety.
The House of Representatives remains steadfast in its commitment to addressing this issue with seriousness and diligence. The resolution serves as a strong message that accountability and security are of paramount importance, and the necessary actions will be taken to bring about the apprehension of the escaped inmates and prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future.
