House of Representatives calls for accountability on Kuje Custodial Centre escapees

In a bid to address the escape of inmates from the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre in 2022, the House of Representatives has directed the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) to provide a detailed account of the fugitives.

The House has tasked its Committees on Reformatory Institutions, Interior, and Police Affairs with collaborating with relevant security agencies to compile a comprehensive report on the current status of the escaped inmates. A six-week timeline has been set for the committees to submit their findings, after which further legislative action will be considered.

Emmanuel Ukpong–Udo, representing Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State, sponsored the motion leading to this resolution. The Islamic State in West African Province claimed responsibility for the July 2022 attack on the Kuje Custodial Centre, resulting in the escape of numerous Boko Haram suspects.

During the debate, Ukpong-Udo highlighted, “On July 5, 2022, a jailbreak in Abuja’s Kuje Medium Custodial Facility led to 879 inmates, including 64 Boko Haram terrorists, escaping, with 422 still unrecovered or recaptured by security agencies.”

The House emphasized the necessity for the Nigerian Correctional Service to generate a comprehensive report utilizing its database to account for the escaped inmates and develop effective methods for tracking both the inmates and the perpetrators.

Expressing concern about the security risk posed by law-abiding citizens among the 350 escapees, the House noted that daily crimes are being recorded without any trace of the perpetrators. It raised alarm that, a year later, the escapees may be thriving in various communities, blending in and potentially continuing their criminal activities undetected. Urgent measures are deemed necessary to track and apprehend these individuals.