Six of the inmates who escaped from the hundred-year-old Nsukka Prisons in Enugu State on Tuesday night have been re-arrested.
The Enugu State Controller of the Nigeria Prisons Service, Mr. Isaiah Amariri, disclosed this to newsmen in the state on Thursday.
Amariri, however, declined to give the exact number of the inmates who escaped from the prison during the jailbreak.
He said the prison service was already liaising with security agencies and community groups to apprehend the other run-away prisoners.
The prisons controller said, “There was a jail break in Nsukka prisons on Tuesday night between 12pm and 3am, in which many inmates escaped, though six of them have been re-arrested.
“I cannot give the exact figure for now as investigations are still on.
“We will send our findings to the Controller General of Prisons who will make public the exact number and cause of Nsukka prisons jail break.
“The service is liaising with security agents and community vigilante groups to know the hideout of those still on the run in order to re-arrest them.”
Amariri also assured that any of the prisons’ officials indicted over the jailbreak in the course of investigations would not be spared the appropriate punishment.
“After investigations on the jail break, any person in the service found to have been involved or aided the Tuesday jail break will be arrested and prosecuted no matter his or her position.
“Security has been beefed up in and around Nsukka prisons with serious surveillance on the prisons facilities, inmates and staff.
“The prisons authorities are on top of the situation and will put measures in place to avoid a repeat of what happened on Tuesday night in Nsukka,” he added.
The controller appealed to the members of the public with information on the whereabouts of the fleeing inmates to report to relevant security agencies.
“We solicit for help from the general public who may have information about the fleeing inmates to feel free and call prisons authorities or security agents to enable them re-arrest the escapees.
“We promise that such information will be given the confidentiality it deserves and source identity will be fully protected,” he said.
