Richard Elesho/ Lokoja
One of the inmates who escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kabba, Kogi State during a jail break about two weeks ago has been arrested.
The escapee was arrested Sunday arrested while vandalizing a transformer belonging to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, in Kabba town, security adviser to Kogi governor, Commander Jerry Omodara, said at the sidelines of the 2021 peace camp organized by Actionaid Nigeria, in collaboration with Participation Initiative For Behavioural Change in Development, PIBCID in Lokoja.
He about 132 of the 240 runaway inmates have been rearrested.
Omodara explained that the transformer vandal was arrested in the evening of Sunday 26th September, 2021. He said the State has rejigged its security strategy to meet the current reality.
It would be recalled that unknown gunmen had attacked the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kabba, killing some security personnel on duty before setting free some 240 prison inmates.
The Special Adviser noted that the focus of the present administration will not change in terms of providing adequate security for the people of Kogi State.
“Immediately we noticed a little change in the security situation and attack in the last three weeks in the State, we doubled our efforts, rejigged our security architecture, and today I can assure you that we are getting it right again. The attack on correctional centre in kabba, as of this morning, we have received 132 inmates back into the correctional centre.
“We are getting it right because the focus has been to ensure that Kogi is safe. Security is work in progress and we cannot say we are finished with it as we keep updating strategy. Even in the United States you still see attacks, here and there.
“The fleeing inmates who was caught in Kabba vandalizing transformer is back to the detention centre. The place is better fortified now. He went to vandalize AEDC transformer alongside one other suspect. He was arrested.
“We discovered that a lot of transformers are being vandalized around Kabba area. During our security meeting, we mounted surveillance, and success was recorded yesterday. It has shown that it is in the blood. This criminals will not change. He was among the inmates that ran out of our correctional centre. He went back to the society to commit more crimes. Again, he has met his waterloo” Omodara explained.
The State Security Adviser however, called on the judiciary to ensure speedy trials of all the suspects in custody.
”If we have speedy trial of this people, we won’t have large numbers being sent out of our Custodial Centre” he added.