The Osun State Police Command has stated that it has not received any official briefing from the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) concerning the escape of seven inmates from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Ilesa, which reportedly occurred following a structural breach caused by heavy rainfall.
Police spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, reported on Wednesday that although intelligence gathered confirmed the incident, no formal communication has been made by the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
“We also heard about the escape, but there is no official report made to the police by the NCoS,” Ojelabi said. “From the intelligence report we got, there is nothing we can lay our hands on that made the inmates escape. The NCoS should inform us about what actually happened.”
The escape reportedly occurred around 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday when heavy rainfall damaged the perimeter fence of the Ilesa facility, creating an opportunity for the inmates to flee.
In a statement signed by Deputy Controller of Corrections and Public Relations Officer Umar Abubakar, the Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, confirmed the breach and ordered an immediate investigation into the circumstances of the escape.
“The service is working closely with sister security agencies as well as community leaders to recapture the escapees and bring them back to custody,” Abubakar stated.
He also called on the public to assist with information that could lead to the arrest of the fugitives.
“The Service solicits the cooperation and support of the public in providing information that may lead to the recapture of the fleeing inmates,” the statement added.
As of the time of filing this report, a manhunt is underway for the seven escapees, while both correctional and police authorities continue to coordinate efforts to restore order and accountability at the affected facility.
