A jailbreak occurred at the Keffi Correctional Centre in Keffi, Nasarawa State, with 14 inmates reportedly escaping.
The News Chronicle obtained the reports on Tuesday that the escape took place recently, though details remain unclear.
This is not the first time the facility has faced unrest. In August 2019, about 50 inmates allegedly attempted a mass breakout, reportedly over poor feeding and lack of medical care.
Security forces, including the police and the IGP Special Technical Squad, were called in to restore order.
At the time, prison officials denied that a jailbreak or escape attempt had taken place.
The then Nasarawa State Controller of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Emmanuel Okoro, said the disturbance was caused by inmates upset over being banned from smoking cigarettes inside the prison, which is against the Service’s regulations.
He said “the smokers became aggressive but were eventually restrained.”
Attempts to contact the NCoS Public Relations Officer, Umar Abubakar, for comments on the latest incident were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls or messages.
