The Nigeria Correctional Service, Oyo State Command has confirmed that 837 awaiting trial inmates escaped from the Abolongo Correctional Centre in Oyo Town, when suspected gunmen attacked the facility.
Its Public Relations Officer, Olanrewaju Anjorin, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Ibadan.
Recall that Checkout Magazine reported that suspected gunmen invaded the facility on Friday at about 9.30 p.m after they used dynamite to blast the wall.
Anjorin said, “The invaders arrived the centre heavily armed with sophisticated weapons and after a fierce encounter with the officers on guard, they gained entrance into the yard, using dynamite to blast the wall.
“All the awaiting trial detainees were forced out of custody, the cells housing the convicts and the female inmates were not vandalised.
“Meanwhile, a total of 262 of the escapees have been recaptured leaving 575 still at large.
“Following the directives of the Controller-General of Corrections, Haliru Nababa, the State Controller, Noel Ailewon, has commenced the process of search and recapture after visiting the scene of the incident.”
