• Experts advocate emergency on prisons as FG places N5 million bounty on escapees

The escape of seven inmates from the Ilesa Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), in Osun State, barely a month after 12 others escaped the Koton Karfe facility in Kogi State, has sparked security concerns among Nigerians.

On the night of Tuesday, April 20, 2025, authorities at the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) announced that six inmates escaped Ilesa correctional centre following the collapse of the facility’s perimeter fence during a heavy downpour, and that a manhunt had been launched to recapture the jail-breakers.

The fleeing inmates, according to officials, took advantage of the compromised security during the rainstorm in the wee hours of Tuesday, May 20, 2025, to escape the facility.

National Spokesman of NCoS, Umar Abubakar, stated: “Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, has ordered an immediate investigation into the escape circumstances and is collaborating with other security agencies and community leaders to recapture the fugitives.”

Nigerians are now on edge, especially due to rising wave if crimes, such as kidnapping for ransom and organ harvesting, one chance transporters, terrorism and insurgency, which continue to undermine security across states.

On April 24, 2024, rainstorm pulled down the perimeter fence of another MSCC at Suleja, Niger State, leading to the escape of 118 inmates, with only 23 recaptured.

Reacting to the development, security analyst, Chidi Omeje, described security breach at any correctional centre as a serious issue.

“Each time there is a jail break, it is also an issue because it unleashes hardened criminals onto unsuspecting communities who have broken free from the prisons.”

“It is a terrible thing. You can imagine having bandits, terrorists, hardcore hardened criminals, murderers, robbers confined in prison now breaking loose into the larger society. This is how terrible it is,” he said.

According to him, the implication for the country is that people are no longer safe because criminals who were confined have broken loose and are infiltrating communities to wreak havoc.

Omeje also called for increased surveillance in the facilities, upgrade of aged facilities and the relocation of inmates to safer and stronger custodial centres.

While noting that the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, was probably overwhelmed and could not deal with the challenges of the correctional sector, the National Coordinator of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), Emmanuel Onwubiko, said “a state of emergency is critical at this stage due to the number of prison breaks, collapses and attacks in Nigeria.

Onwubiko alleged that most prisoners, who escaped from the Suleja facility were all in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT); hence, residents experience increased crimes.

For the Founder, Public Awareness on Rights and Rehabilitation of Vulnerable Persons Initiative (PAR-RVPI), Ogechi Ogu, the prison break at Ilesa was quite an unfortunate development.

She observed: “It is a core security concern that simple natural occurrences such as rainfall can compromise the security of a correctional centre, and more concerning that inmates are beginning to see these occurrences as opportunities to escape from custody.”

Meanwhile, NCoS is offering a cash reward of N5 million for anyone with information leading to the recapture of fleeing inmates.