Tension in Niger State as over 100 inmates escape Suleja prison

The escape occurred amid heavy rainfall that caused significant damage to the prison’s perimeter fence on Wednesday, as reported by Daily Trust.

According to a statement by Adamu Duza, spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) command of NCoS, 118 inmates fled the facility.

The statement reads, “A heavy downpour that lasted for several hours on the night of Wednesday, 24 April 2024, has wreaked havoc on the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Suleja, Niger state, as well as surrounding buildings, destroying part of the custodial facility, including its perimeter fence, giving way to the escape of a total of 118 inmates of the facility.”

Channels TV reported that during a rainstorm on Wednesday night, a section of the fence at the old Suleja Correctional Centre in Niger State was destroyed, leading to an unspecified number of inmates escaping.

The heavy rain around 9 pm damaged parts of the facility and revealed the inner fence of one of the cells where inmates were housed, facilitating their escape.

Babangida Turaki, a Suleja resident, reported that an incident occurred during a rainy night, causing a section of a fence under repair to collapse. Although it's unclear how many prisoners escaped, security reinforcements recaptured some.

Authorities have deployed security teams to key areas and known trouble spots in Suleja to apprehend the remaining escapees.

The situation in Suleja has stabilised, but efforts to locate and detain the escaped prisoners are ongoing.