In the aftermath of the recent jailbreak at Suleja Correctional Service, a coalition of civil society groups known as the Speak Out Africa Initiatives (SOAI) has raised concerns about significant institutional lapses within Nigeria’s prison system.
The incident, which saw the escape of 119 inmates from a facility with a current capacity of 499 inmates, has prompted calls for immediate action to address systemic issues.
In a statement released to newsmen, Kenneth Eze, the Lead Director of Speak Out Africa Initiative, criticized the government’s failure to promptly publish details and pictures of the escapees, describing it as indicative of broader institutional shortcomings.
“While the cause of the recent jailbreak is attributed to nature engineered by heavy downpours which brought down the dilapidated perimeter fencing of the custodian centre, this national casualty is preventable if we had proactively fixed our infrastructure given the humongous funds expended over the years,” the group stated.
The coalition demanded the immediate release of escapee details to the public and called for daily briefings to track progress in recapturing the escaped inmates.
The group outlined a series of recommendations aimed at addressing both immediate concerns and long-term systemic challenges within the prison system.
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