EDO INMATE’S ESCAPE: CORRECTIONAL SERVICE CITES MANPOWER SHORTAGE
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By ‘Balogun Ibrahim
The shortage of personnel in the Nigerian Correctional Service has been blamed for the escape of a 28-year-old awaiting-trial inmate, Osita Thomas, during a court appearance in Edo State.
An official of the service, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the correctional officer escorting Thomas and other inmates could not pursue the fleeing suspect without risking the escape of the remaining detainees.
The official called for urgent recruitment to address the manpower shortage, warning that similar incidents could occur if the personnel deficit was not tackled.
“The warden couldn’t leave other inmates to pursue Osita, as he would risk losing others. The dearth of manpower should be addressed now so that this kind of incident does not happen again,” the source said.
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The official further disclosed that more than 1,000 personnel of the service were expected to retire this year, expressing concern over the absence of plans to recruit replacements.
However, the source noted that the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board had met on Thursday to initiate the recruitment of additional officers to mitigate the effects of the shortage.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service has confirmed Thomas’s escape. The inmate was being held at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Auchi while awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy and stealing.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Aminu Suleman, confirmed the incident in a telephone conversation with our correspondent on Friday, adding that efforts were underway to recapture the fugitive.
“No update yet, but efforts are ongoing to apprehend the inmate,” Suleman said.
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