- 435 Inmates Escape, 34 Recaptured, 14 On The Run
- Escapees Part Of Nigeria’s Insecurity Debacle – Expert
No less than 435 inmates have escaped from five correctional facilities in the last 16 months in Nigeria.
Among the escapees OSUN DEFENDER learnt are hardened criminals who are still contributing to the nation’s insecurity debacle.
The medium gathered that since the inception of President Bola Tinubu’s administration about 27 months ago, there have been no fewer than five jailbreaks, with the most recent happening on August 12, 2025.
Meanwhile, out of the 435 inmates who escaped prison, only 34 have been reportedly recaptured, leaving a significant number of the escapees out there, a development security experts claim can further affect the insecurity the country is witnessing.
Also, during the jail breaks, an officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service was killed, while many other personnel were injured.
The Jail Breaks
On April 24, 2024, 119 Inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Suleja, Niger State, escaped the prison following an overnight torrential rainfall, which wreaked havoc on the centre.
Although 14 inmates were recaptured by security agents, the remaining 105, including hardened criminals, are on the loose.
Speaking after the incident, the Federal Government promised that it would allow the fate which befell the Medium Security Custodial Centre to befall any of its 256 Custodial Centres across the country, saying it is rehabilitating the centres accordingly.
However, despite the vow to secure the correctional facilities and prevent recurrence, on September 10, 2024, a ravaging flood due to the overflow of the Alau Dam triggered the collapse of the perimeter wall at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Maiduguri, Borno State.
A total of 281 inmates fled after the incident with only seven recaptured.
The spokesperson for the Nigeria Correctional Services, Umar Abubakar, in a statement after the incident, said, “Security personnel were able to recapture seven of the inmates, and an operation is still ongoing to locate the rest.”
Another jailbreak occurred on March 24, 2025, at the Koton Karfe Medium Security Prison in Kogi State.
Twelve inmates escaped the prison after overpowering officers on duty, killing one of them through strangulation, while two others were tied up before they escaped.
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Sylvester Nwakuche, who was then in acting capacity, after visiting the Koton Karfe correctional centre following the incident, confirmed that five of the 12 escaped inmates had been recaptured.
“We regret that one of the officers of the correctional service was killed by the escaped prison inmates,” he said.
Less than two months after the Koton Karfe incident, another jailbreak occurred at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Ilesa, Osun State.
The incident happened on May 20, 2025, following an overnight rainfall, with seven inmates escaping from the Custodial Centre after the facility’s old perimeter wall collapsed.
According to the Nigerian Correctional Service, the breach occurred around 2:00 a.m. and was caused by the structural failure of the wall during the storm.
Following the jailbreak, a reward of N5 million was announced for anyone who had information concerning the escaped prisoners. However, only one inmate has been recaptured to date.
The latest jail break occurred on August 12, 2025, at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Keffi, Nasarawa State, where 16 inmates escaped the facility.
The inmates escaped after breaching the facility’s security.
In a statement issued by the spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Umar Abubakar, the inmates reportedly overpowered personnel on duty during the breakout.
Abubakar stated that five officers were injured in the incident.
Although seven of the escaped inmates were recaptured, the remaining nine escaped inmates are still at large.
A security expert, Kolawole Olabisi, while speaking to OSUN DEFENDER, said the federal government must find a way to put an end to the recurring jail break or face further battle in tackling insecurity.
According to Olabisi, most of the escaped prisoners who are still on the loose are hardened criminals, adding that they will further contribute to the security challenges in the country.
The security experts said the federal government needs to do more than make mere promises and find a way to secure the correctional facilities.
Olabisi said, “It’s unfortunate, as this year alone, we already have three jail breaks, and the authority keeps telling us that they are going to put an end to it, which to me is just a mere promise.
“What we should be concerned about is that most of these escapees are hardened criminals and they are out there among the people. Only God knows what they are doing to further contribute to the insecurity in the country.
“I said they are hardened criminals because only hardened criminals can think of escaping from prison, knowing fully well the repercussions.
“My issue with the federal government, the Minister of Interior, and the Controller General of Corrections is that after every jail break, they come out to make promises and vow to stop it, but unfortunately, it keeps happening again. I hope we have heard the last of it.”
Efforts to get the reaction of the spokesperson for the Nigeria Correctional Services, Umar Abubakar, proved abortive as his line was not connecting at the time of filing this report.
Also, text and WhatsApp messages sent to his numbers were not replied to.
Kazeem Badmus is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience. A professional in journalism and media writing, Kazeem prioritses accuracy and factual reportage of issues. He is also a dexterous finder of the truth with conscious delivery of unbiased and development oriented stories.
