Inmate escapes during court visit in Edo

Authorities at the Nigeria Correctional Centre in Edo State have reported the escape of an awaiting-trial inmate named Osita Thomas, who is 28 years old.

This information came from a statement by the state command PRO, Aminu Suleman, on October 21. The statement was shared with journalists in Benin on Thursday.

According to the statement, Osita escaped while at court last week. He was there for charges of conspiracy and stealing.

The statement said, "The Nigerian Correctional Service, Edo State Command, hereby notifies the general public of the escape of an awaiting trial inmate of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Auchi."

It continued, "The incident occurred during his appearance in court for trial for the offence of conspiracy and stealing."

The service is asking for help from the public to find the escaped inmate. They urge anyone with information about his location to reach out to the nearest Custodial Centre, Police Station, or call these numbers: 08038075882, 08039243704.

The Controller of Corrections for Edo State assured everyone that they will do everything possible to recapture the fugitive. They also said that the security of all inmates in custody has been tightened.

But, an official from the NCC said the warden who took Osita and others to court could not chase after him. They feared other inmates might escape too. The official pointed out that there is not enough staff to prevent such incidents.

The official mentioned that over 1,000 NCC personnel are set to retire this year, and there are no plans to hire new staff.

“The warden couldn’t leave other inmates to pursue Osita as he will risk losing others. The lack of manpower should be addressed now so that this kind of incident does not happen again,” the official added.