The Owerri Correctional Centre on Wednesday said that over 1,200 inmates are still at large following the April 5, jailbreak at the center.
The Public Relations Officer of the centre, Goodluck Uboegbulam, said only 600 inmates had voluntarily returned.
He also disclosed that the center had since advanced strategies to ensure that the fleeing inmates had were rearrested.
The spokesperson said, “Also call on the general public to assist in availing useful information that would aid the efforts aimed at re-arresting of the remaining ones who constitute serious security threats in the society.
Read Also
Nine fleeing Owerri inmates nabbed in Ghana125 escapees back in Owerri custodial centre — NCoSArmy plans training of NCoS armed squad to tackle jailbreaks
“As it stands, over 1,200 out of the 1,844 fleeing inmates from our custody are still at large. However, over 600 have either voluntarily returned or recaptured. But we are hopeful that many more will voluntarily return because they have been returning almost on daily basis.
“After the attack, we have undertaken several measures, such as going through different media and exploring possible avenues aimed at getting results.
“In fact, we have gone as far as writing to the churches, communities, and village heads. Letting them know the dangers in allowing the fleeing inmates to hide within our communities. And with this, what it has yielded so far is the voluntary return of some of these fleeing inmates.
“But one irony is that most of the families and parents of these fleeing inmates don’t understand the implications of what we are saying. Some of them see it as, “Oh! thank God, finally, our sons have been set free. But the price of that freedom is such that, that individual can not work anywhere, cannot do any job, can not open a shop anywhere because he is a fugitives”.
Credit: Punch