The Minister of Interior, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, has stated that the number of jailbreaks in the country has decreased under the present administration compared to previous years.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Tunji-Ojo dismissed claims that there had been as many as seven jailbreaks since 2023, insisting that the actual number was lower.
According to the minister, the only notable cases since the administration took office occurred in Nasarawa, Niger, and Borno states.
He explained that the Nasarawa incident involved a small number of inmates, while the Niger jailbreak in Suleja happened after a fence collapsed. Regarding the Maiduguri incident, Tunji-Ojo stated that flooding caused by a dam disaster triggered the escape.
“That was nobody’s fault. People died, there was a disaster, and the entire correctional centre was overflooded,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo noted that lessons were learnt from the Suleja jailbreak, which exposed gaps in the biometric record system. “It was then we realised our biometric system was not really up to date. We immediately worked on that,” he said.
On a recent escape involving 16 inmates, he revealed that seven had already been recaptured, with security agencies pursuing the remaining nine.
“As I speak to you, we have digitalised the biometric system and linked it with all security agencies. Those agencies are now better equipped to react,” he said.
The minister said Nigeria has 246 correctional centres, many of which are more than 70 years old, with some over a century old. He disclosed that approximately 12 facilities are currently undergoing rehabilitation.
He added that under President Bola Tinubu, 50 doctors and 100 nurses have been employed, alongside the deployment of NYSC doctors to correctional centres.
Tunji-Ojo stressed that correctional centre management is now on the concurrent legislative list, allowing both the federal and state governments to operate them.
“About 72% of inmates are state offenders, with 67% awaiting trial, yet the federal government bears most of the cost,” he said.
He stated that the government would collaborate with state governors to develop a joint strategy to address challenges within the system.
The minister added, “We do not make excuses. The President always says we were elected to produce results, not to shift blame.
“I want to put it on record that this administration has done a lot in the last two years in terms of providing resources and making sure our facilities and systems are better secured.”
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