Jail Breaks: 3,906 Inmates On The Run, Says Aregbesola

Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister of Interior, has disclosed that 954 of the 4860 prisoners who have escaped from various detention centers across the country January 2020 have been apprehended, leaving 3,906 on the loose.

He also stated that his ministry, along with the National Identity Management Commission, has sufficient data on all inmates in the country, and that escaped inmates might flee but not hide for long.

Aregbesola made the remarks during a press conference held by the Presidential Media Team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.

According to him, all detainees in the country’s prisons have had their biometrics collected, which will allow escapees to be tracked.

He said, “This is the advantage of the state. How long can they continue to run from the state? The state is a patient vulture. You can run but you cannot hide. We have their biometrics. Whenever and wherever they appear to transact any business, their cover will be blown.

“I will also like to inform Nigerians that we have captured the biometric information of all inmates in the facilities of Nigeria Correctional Service working in partnership with the Nigerian Identity Management Commission.

“Therefore, we have the capacity and are tracking all escapees from our facilities. In addition, we are working with and have shared the details of escapees with INTERPOL, to check the risks of cross border movements.”

According to Aregbesola, 465 offenders are enrolled in various degree programs around the country, with 85 of them pursuing postgraduate degrees, including four who are pursuing doctoral degrees.

He said that 560 detainees had enrolled for WAEC/NECO exams, while 2,300 had enrolled for adult literacy programs in various detention facilities.

The minister promised Nigerians that the difficult task of acquiring passports would soon be over, noting that the Nigeria Immigration Service had issued 2,742,207 passports in the last two years.

His words, “It is important to inform you that we have witnessed growing demand for the Nigerian passport both locally and by Nigerians in diaspora. A total of 2,742,207 passports of different categories were issued between 2019 to date.

“The year-on-year increasing growth rate is however putting a lot of pressure on the current processing structure and resources and further justifies the need for a reform in the passport application and processing system in line with the current reality.”

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 throughout the country, not a single case has been reported in detention centers, according to the minister.

He said his government was aware of the difficulties Nigerians suffer in getting passports processed, and that steps were being made to address the issue.

He stated, “I am pleased to inform Nigerians that the ministry has taken substantial measures to address the issue of shortages of the e-passport booklets.

“This year alone, the ministry approved a special deployment of over 600,000 passport booklets, the largest of its kind ever done, to cushion the effects of shortages being experienced.”

On measures taken to tackle corruption, the minister noted the recent sting operation carried out by the Acting Comptroller-General of the NIS, Isa Jere, at the Ikoyi Passport Office, saying that reforms such as a new appointment management system are being put in place to root out corruption.

Aregbesola also stated that 174,000 jobs had been created for Nigerians through the administration of Expatriate Quotas and Business Permits.

Quizzed on the ministry’s response to the collapsed multistoried building in Ikoyi, Aregbesola said the Federal Fire Service did not duck its responsibility but responded as early as possible for the rescue operations.