13 inmates escape in Kogi jailbreak

AT least 13 inmates of the Koton-Karfe Prison in Kogi State, on Saturday, escaped from the prison after they allegedly pulled down part of its perimeter fence.

The jailbreak came barely three years after suspected insurgents attacked the prison which led to the escape of many inmates.

The latest break was, however, an internal one as the inmates were said to have taken advantage of the lapses in the system to plan their escape.

Sources told Sunday Tribune that the incident, which happened at the new medium prison along Opareke road in Koton Karfe town, saw 13 of the inmates escape from the prison.

It was further learnt that the inmates without any resistance capitalised on the lapses on the part of the prison warders.

The medium prison was inaugurated last year by the former minister of interior, Mr Abba Moro.

The Koton-Karfe jail break came barely 24 hours after four alleged inter-state armed robbers and kidnappers were remanded in the prison custody on the orders of Lokoja Chief Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

Chief Magistrate Alhassan Husaini gave the order in Lokoja in his ruling on arraignment of the accused persons alleged to have carried out several highway robbery, kidapping operations in Kogi, Niger and Kaduna states.

The accused, Shaibu Kabiru, Adamu Abdulmumuni, Saleh Haruna Salisu alias Auta and Shaibu Tukur all of Obajana trailer garage, Lokoja were alleged to have carried out sundry robbery attacks on travellers on the highways.