The Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Correctional Centre said it has re-arrested over 70 percent of inmates that escaped from one of its facilities during last year’s ENDSARS protest.
Hoodlums broke into the Medium Security facility in Okitipupa, Okitipupa local government area and set the inmates free.
Several buildings within the facility was also set ablaze. Ondo Comptroller of Corrections, Opeyemi Fatinikun, who spoke in a chat in Akure, said efforts were on to arrest other fleeing inmates.
Fatinikun said members of the host Okitipupa community has helped to rebuild some of the destroyed facilities.
He said the NCC was yet to get any feedback from its petition to the Ondo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality and Other Related Matters.
The panel which was headed by Justice Adesola Sidiq (Rtd) had however recommended payment of N755,730,897.83 to victims of police brutality and some of the petitioners.
Fatinikun however said the destruction of Correctional Centres facilities would not occur again across the country as the Centres have been declared ‘red zones.’
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It was earlier reported that, The Edo State Police Command has paraded 18 fleeing inmates who escaped after the recent jailbreaks at the two Medium Security Correctional Centres in Benin City during the #EndSARS protests.
Johnson Kokumo, the state Commissioner of Police, said most of the escapees were re-arrested while committing other crimes.
Two of the fleeing inmates were re-arrested in Ondo State while another was re-arrested in Lagos.
The police also paraded 14 suspected armed robbers and 16 suspected cultists who have allegedly been part of the killings across Benin City.
Mr Kokumo said the development was part of the recovery process and building public confidence after the #EndSARS protests and the near breakdown of law and order.
He said, “A total of 18 suspects who eloped from the two correctional centres as a result of the jail break during the End SARS protest have been re-arrested.”
The official gave the names of the rearrested inmates as Uwa Uyi, Oluwatosi Adelayo, Precious Omose, Moses Osamudiamen, Osarumen Noragor, Godspower Musa, David Opkebe, Treasure Egharevba, Jackson Godwin and Uyi Osayande.
Others are Osaro Anthony, Chima Ezi, Endurance Ifebhor, Abraham Matthew, Henry Atadi, Osayi Iyase, Unity Agbonifo and David Junior.
Mr Kokumo said some of the suspected robbers were among the robbery gangs that have been terrorising residents in Benin City.
Mr Kokumo said despite the outcome of the #EndSARS protests that led to the destruction of several police stations and carting away of arms and ammunition, “we are not folding our arms and watch the hoodlums have a field day. Our main concern now, is geared towards re-arresting the escapees and recovering the looted and other illicit arms and ammunition in circulation.”
He said among the suspects were those who destroyed the Oba Market police station and carted away ammunition.
The police commissioner said the exhibits recovered were: two AK 47 rifles; four locally-made guns; one Toyota Yaris Saloon car with Reg No. UBJ-447-SZ; one Toyota Highlander SUV Reg. No. DGE-524-AH and 21 live cartridges.
