Minna Jailbreak: FG Takes Action Against Prison Officials

The Federal Government has taken action against the Niger State Comptroller of Prisons, Musa Maiyaki. and others over the jail break that occurred in Minna, the capital of Niger state.

Leadership reports that the Federal Government through the minister of interior, Comrade Abba Moro has ordered the immediate suspension of the state’s Controller of Prisons, pending the outcome of investigations on the recent jail break that led to the escape of over 300 inmates, from Minna Medium Prisons.

This was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the Nigeria Prisons signed by its spokesman, Mr. Ope Fatinikun.

The statement said the suspension also affected the Officer-in-Charge, Medium Security Prison Minna – ACP Mohammed Buena and all officers who were on duty on December 6, 2014, when the jail break reportedly happened.

It explained that the suspension followed a recommendation for the immediate removal and suspension of some officers by the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Prisons Service, Dr Peter Ekpendu, adding that it was also part of efforts to avert future attack on both the medium facility as well as the old Minna Prisons. 

It further revealed that Ekpendu, has ordered the immediate redeployment of 55 officers and men from the zonal and state headquarters to beef up security in the two prisons.

A prison official who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “we had 323 inmates in our custody but we are left with barely 53 in just one cell. Our gateman was injured; these armed men broke into our armoury and carted away weapons and bullet proof vests.”