Aregbesola orders fleeing inmates to return or face stiffer punishment

Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has ordered inmates that escaped from correctional centres during recent jailbreaks in the country to return or face stiffer penalties upon re-arrest.

He said this in Ilorin, Kwara State, yesterday, while declaring open the Ministry of Interior’s Second Retreat, tagged: ‘Developing Internal Security and Public Safety Towards A Five-Year Strategic Plan For Accelerated National Development’.

He said ample data exists on profiles of the inmates, stressing that the era when they could disappear from under the radar was past.

He promised that the ministry would ensure adequate training and retraining of personnel in charge of internal security to guarantee safety of life and property of citizens.

He urged participants at the retreat to use the period to brainstorm and put in place a strategic plan that would end challenges of internal security in the country.

In his remarks, Controller-General, Federal Fire Service, Dr. Liman Alhaji Ibrahim, said Nigeria is gradually overcoming challenges of insecurity and also tragedies caused by fire outbreaks.

In his presentation titled, ‘Improving Nigeria’s Preparedness for Internal Security and Public Safety Threats: A Case for Medium Term Strategic Plan’, the guest lecturer, Dr. Abdul Hamid Hamisu, said there is the need for formulation of strategic plans to proactively resolve challenges as they occur.