Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

Comrade Abba Moro, Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, has approved the suspension of the Controller of Prisons, Niger state Command, Musa Maiyaki, where a jail break occurred at the Medium Prison in the state capital.

Also suspended is the officer-in-Charge of the Prison, Mohammed Bena and all other Officers on duty during the jailbreak in which over 200 prisoners escaped from the prison on 6 December 2014.

According to Ope Fatinikun, National Public Relations Officer, Nigerian Prisons Service, the suspension followed recommendations of the Controller General of the Nigerian Prisons Service, Dr Peter E Ekpendu, for the immediate removal and suspension of officers pending the outcome of Investigation on the jail Break at Medium Security Prison, Minna.

Fatinikun added that Ekpendu has also ordered the immediate transfer of fifty five(55) Officers and Men of the Zonal and state Headquarters in Minna to the Medium Security Prison and the Old Prison in the town to beef up security in the two Prisons.

Fanitikun added in the statement that the NPS has recaptured one hundred and Eight (108) inmates out of 275 prisoners who escaped.

According to him, the inmates were recaptured through combined efforts of military, security and intelligence agencies and cooperation of surrounding Communities.

The NPS said 166 Inmates are still at large while the total number of inmates in the Prisons’ custody as at today is 157, including 49 inmates that did not escape.