No fewer than 119 prisoners have escaped from correctional center in Suleja, Niger State as a heavy downpour, which lasted for several hours, destroyed part of the custodial facility, including its perimeter fence.
The rain, which poured down uncontrollably yesterday night, April 24, brought down the Medium Security prison and surrounding buildings.

Confirming the incidence in a statement today, April 25, the Deputy Superintendent of Corrections Command’s Public Relations Officer in the FCT Command, A S. Duza said that the Service has immediately activated its recapturing mechanisms and in conjunction with sister security agencies, have so far recaptured 10 fleeing inmates and taken them into custody.
“We are in hot chase to recapture the rest.”
He said that the Service is not unmindful of the fact that many of its facilities were built during the colonial era, and that they are old and weak.
“The Service is making frantic efforts to see that all ageing facilities give way for modern ones. This is evidenced in the ongoing construction of six (6) number of 3000-capacity ultra-modern custodial centres in all the geo-political zones in Nigeria as well as the ongoing reconstruction and renovation of existing ones.
“The Service wishes to assure the public that it is on top of the situation and that they should go about their businesses without fear or hindrance.
“The public is further enjoined to look out for the fleeing inmates and report any suspicious movement to the nearest security agency.”

The battle between ex Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has taken a new turn as the ex-governor insisted that the EFCC is an illegal organisation.
According to him, the Federal Government did not consult the 36 States of the federation before it enacted the EFCC Act through the National Assembly.
He argued that section 12 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, required the various Houses of Assembly of states to ratify the Act before it could become operative.
“This is a very serious matter that borders on the constitution and the tenets of federalism. It has to be resolved because as it stands, the EFCC is an illegal organisation.”
The former Governor, who spoke through one of the lawyers in his legal team, Adeola Adedipe (SAN), told the Federal High Court in Abuja today, April 23 that his client was ready to appear to answer to the 19-count charge the EFCC, but was afraid that he would be arrested.
“The defendant wants to come to court but he is afraid that there is an order of arrest hanging on his head,” Adedipe submitted.
He urged the court to set aside the exparte order of arrest it earlier issued against the former governor.
Adedipe contended that as at the time the order of arrest was made, the charge had not been served on his client as required by the law.
He said that it was only at the resumed proceedings on Tuesday that the court okayed substituted service of the charge on the defendant, through his lawyer.
“As at the time the warrant was issued, the order for substituted service had not been made.
“That order was just made this morning.
“A warrant of arrest should not be hanging on his neck when we leave this court.”
Responding, the EFCC, lawyer, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), urged the court to refuse the application, insisting that the warrant of arrest should not be set aside until the defendant makes himself available for his trial.
Pinheiro said: “The defendant cannot stay in hiding and be filing numerous applications.
“He cannot ask for the arrest order to be vacated until and when the defendant is present in court for his arraignment.
“He cannot be heard on that application.
“The main issue should be ascertaining the whereabouts of the defendant.
“All these applications he is filing are nothing but dilatory tactics intended to delay his arraignment and frustrate the proceedings.
“If he wants the order of arrest to be discharged, let him come here and make the application.
“Our position is that the defendant should be denied the right of being heard until he is physically present before this court.”
The EFCC’s lawyer argued that in line with section 396 of ACJA, 2015, the court could not effectively assume jurisdiction to decide any application or objection in the matter until the defendant is arraigned.
The anti-graft agency said it would not execute the arrest warrant if counsel to the defendant undertook to ensure his presence on the next adjourned date.
“If he gives an undertaking that his client will be in court on the next date, I can assure him that the arrest warrant will not be executed.
“If he gives that assurance, as the prosecution, I will personally apply for the warrant to be discharged.”
The EFCC told the court that the Supreme Court had since settled the issue of its legality.
“The charge before this court is not against a state or House of Assembly, but against an individual who is said to have laundered public funds.
“It is against an individual who is said to have taken public funds to buy houses in Lagos, Maitama and also transferred funds to his accounts abroad.”
Source: Vanguard News.