Kuje prison break: Minister of Interior Lt.Gen. Dambazau orders immediate security beef up
Following the escape of two inmates from Kuje prison last
week, the Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdurahaman Dambazau (rtd) on
Monday, June 27, ordered immediate security beef up at the Kuje Medium
prisons and all
other prisons across the country. Dambazau gave the order in Abuja shortly after an
on-the-spot assessment of the Kuje prisons in Abuja.
The two inmates
standing trial for murder were said to have escaped from the prison
on Friday and are still at large.
The minister, who was taken round the prison facility by the Comptroller
General of the Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS), Ahmed Jafaru and other
prison officials, expressed shock at the incident, adding that he had ordered for detailed investigation into the
matter and vowed to get to the root of the matter, while the hunt for
the escaped inmates continues. He noted the poor state of the prison and recalled that he
had observed some security lapses around the prison on his last visit.
"The last time I was here I noticed some security gap in the prison, I
made my observation then with the former CG with the present controller
prison and I notice the security gap and I told them precisely what to
do but unfortunately this has occurred," He expressed worry on some of the security lapses around the prison facility.
"Two prisoners escaped and especially these are prisoners who are
awaiting trial for murder. So, this is a very serious issue that I
cannot be happy about,’" he added.
He assured that the current administration is working towards the
rehabilitation of Nigerian Prisons in order to make it a true
rehabilitation centres
for inmates like those in developed countries.