Two inmates have escaped from a correctional facility in Kogi State, the state police command confirmed on Tuesday, adding that a manhunt is under way to recapture them.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Afusat Saliu, an assistant superintendent of police, said in a statement issued in Lokoja that the escape occurred on Sunday at about 10:30 a.m. She said the command received a report of the incident from the correctional centre and immediately began moves to ensure the prompt rearrest of the fleeing inmates.
According to her, the police are working with the Nigerian Correctional Service and other relevant security agencies to trace and apprehend the escapees. She urged members of the public to disregard unconfirmed reports about the incident, describing her statement as the first and only official communication she has issued on the matter.
“Any information or publication attributed to me beyond this statement should be disregarded unless officially confirmed by the command,” she said.
The incident is the fifth jailbreak recorded in Kogi State since 2016, giving the state more such cases than any of the other 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
