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Crime & Punishment of Saturday, 10 April 2021

Source: www.thetrentonline.com

Names and photos of inmates who escaped during Imo jailbreak released

Gunmen attacked the Imo police command headquarters Gunmen attacked the Imo police command headquarters

The Nigerian Correctional Service, on Friday, April 9, 2021, unveiled some of the inmates who escaped from the Owerri Custodial Centre, Imo state during Monday’s jailbreak.

The names and pictures of the inmates are being released in batches by the NCS on its Twitter handle.

So far, 36 of them escaped inmates have been unveiled.

The tweet read, “Faces of persons who escaped from Owerri Custodial Centre, Imo State. Please note that more photographs of the escapees are on the way and efforts are on to get clear pictures for the blank spaces.”

Over 1,800 inmates escaped from custody on Monday after gunmen attacked the Imo correctional centre in Owerri.

During the attack, vehicles and part of some buildings within the premises were razed.

The gunmen also attacked the Imo police command headquarters.

While no life was lost during the attack, the NCS had said a total of 1,884 persons escaped from custody.

However, as of Thursday, 78 escapees were said to have been found.

During a visit to the facility in Owerri, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, had said inmates who returned voluntarily will not face sanctions for escaping from custody but added that those who decided otherwise would be prosecuted.

Meanwhile, a report by Vanguard stated that some of the 1,800 inmates who escaped during the Owerri jailbreak have taken up cleaning and menial jobs for survival.

According to the report, the escapees took up majorly hawking and cleaning jobs in brothels, motor parks, and market squares to raise money for their feeding and survival.

Areas affected as stated in the report, include the Control post along Onitsha road, Whethdral Roundabout up to Poly Junction, IMSU junction as well as Irete axis on Owerri/Onitsha Road.