There was mild drama on Wednesday at the Isale-Oko area of Sagamu, Ogun State, after two inmates attempted to escape shortly after a court proceeding.
According to information obtained on Sunday, the incident occurred while officials of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) were escorting the inmates back to custody. A source in the area, who requested anonymity, explained that the duo suddenly fled as they were being transported.
“One was rearrested immediately, while the other managed to escape. However, I later learnt that he was also captured later in the day,” the source revealed.
Confirming the development in a telephone conversation, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Command of the NCoS, Olayinka Owolola, said the attempted escape was swiftly foiled by correctional officers. He stressed that the inmates were rearrested without the use of firearms or injuries.
“They attempted, but we captured the two of them without any shooting or injuries. We have the intention of retrying them in court for escape,” Owolola said.
He further disclosed that the inmates would face fresh charges for the attempted jailbreak.
Attempts by inmates to escape custody are not uncommon in Nigeria’s correctional system. In August, 16 inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Keffi, Nasarawa State, after overpowering security personnel on duty. Five officers were injured during that incident, with two treated at a government hospital.