NCoS To Re-Arrest 3,000 Escaped Inmates With NIN

THE Nigeria Correctional Service has said it will track down over 3,000 escaped inmates with their National Identity Numbers working in partnership with the National Identity Management Commission.

The service explained that it is already harmonising the bio-data of the fugitives with the NIMC database, noting that the NIN would make it easy to re-arrest the escapees.

The NCoS spokesman, Francis Enobore, disclosed this to our correspondent in Abuja, on Wednesday.

About 114 inmates voluntarily returned or were apprehended out of the 240 inmates who escaped from the Kabba Medium Security Custodial Centre in September.

On April 5, 2021, gunmen raided Owerri Custodial Centre, Imo State, freeing 1,884 inmates. Less than 300 inmates were reportedly re-arrested.

Last year, more than 2,058 prisoners escaped from various custodial facilities during jailbreaks in Delta, Edo and Ondo States, while five died while trying to escape from prisons in Kaduna and Imo States.

But speaking to The PUNCH on the strategies being deployed to bring back the felons to lawful custody, Enobore explained that arrests were being made at intervals by the ‘search and capture squad.’

He stated, “From time to time, an arrest is being made by our staff members and we have reactivated the ‘search and capture squad.’ Some of them went to commit other crimes and were arrested and profiled and returned to us. Some were arrested by our task team.

“We are trying to see how we can leverage on NIN; the National Identity Management Commission is helping us to profile some of these inmates and get them back to custody. We are lucky to have received the bio-data of all the inmates there (Kabba Custodial Centre) before that unfortunate incident occurred.

“That is why I made a statement the last time that it would be in the best interest of the escapees to come back or their relations bring them back because we have all their bio-data.”

The NCoS assured Nigerians that the records being collated would enhance moves to arrest the fugitives, adding that the process is ongoing.

“By the time we are done with generating and harmonising our records with NIMC, we are going to flag and pick them (fugitives) wherever they may be hiding. That process is on.

“For those that did not make use of that window of opportunity to return; when they are captured, they would be subjected to another round of trial for escaping from lawful custody,” Enobore explained.

The spokesman could not immediately provide the number of rearrested inmates.