The Nigeria Correctional Service, NCoS, said three more inmates who fled its custodial facility in Suleija, Niger State, Wednesday, have been recaptured while 106 others remain on the loose.
A spokesman for the Service, Abubakar Umar, an Assistant Controller, told Sunday Vanguard that those at large are now 106.
He dismissed online reports which quoted unnamed security officials as saying that 50 inmates had been recaptured.
“Aside from the 10 earlier recaptured, three more have been recaptured. So, we are on the chase of 106”, said Umar.
He also dismissed a television report which said there were over 8,000 thousand fleeing inmates across the country.
No fewer than 119 inmates had escaped following hours of heavy downpour which destroyed parts of the facility on Wednesday night.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who visited the facility said there was a need to relocate the correctional centre from the urban centre.
According to him, the centre which was built to accommodate 250 inmates, had 499 before the incident.
He said; ”Obviously, it was a force majeure. There was a storm and there was a breach of the outer wall of this facility and some of the inmates escaped. Of course, we have been able to retrieve about 10 out of the 119. So we have 109 at large and the manhunt is presently ongoing. We will do everything possible to make sure that everyone is brought back”.
The Service later said it would publish the identities of the escapees.
