The Senate on Tuesday mandated its Committee on Interior to carry out a full scale investigation into the causes of jail breaks across the country.
The probe is coming amid speculations in Jos, Plateau State that the attack on the Medium Custodial Centre was not without insider help, because of the manner of execution.
In addition, there were suggestions that many of those who were freed may have been insurgents brought in from a north-eatern state. They were said to have been kept in another Custodial Centre, but relocated to Jos, just before their arraignment earlier this year, after intelligence showed an attempt was to be made to free them.
There is still unease in the state capital how over 250 prisoners were freed around 5.20 p.m. and walked to safety, from a prison sandwiched among security facilities like the Police Headquarters, its “A” Division, and the office of a secret security agency.
A video making the rounds showed the apparent confusion of security personnel seeking leadership to enter the prison. They pulled out on observing a fire near a nearby gas cylinder.
There were also reports that the firearms inmates who were killed used were either dumped by the attackers or those left there by those who aided the invasion of the prison.
A source suggested that security agencies should do an analysis of the jails that have been attacked and a list of freed inmates so far to see if there is a pattern to the attacks.
Meanwhile, the Senate resolved to summon the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa to determine the status of correctional centres nationwide, with a view to finding out the challenges in order to prevent future recurrence.
These formed part of resolutions reached by the Senate following a motion brought to the floor by Senator Istifanus Gyang during plenary.
The motion was titled, “Terror Attacks on two Communities in Plateau North and Jail Break at the Jos Medium Security Correctional Centre Jos.”
Gyang, while coming under a order 42 and 52 of the Senate Rules to present his motion, noted with grief the multiple terror attacks on two communities of Ta’egbe, Rigwe land and Durbi, Sheri District in Bassa and Jos East Local Government Areas, leading to the death of over ten persons over the weekend.
According to the lawmaker, the attacks caused by a security breach of the Jos Medium Security Correctional Centre, was a setback to the relative and much desired peace in Plateau North.
He disclosed that nine inmates, including an officer identified as Umar A. Mohammed, were also killed, while 262 inmates escaped during the jail break.
He said among the inmates at large, six were fatally injured, 10 of the escapees re-arrested, 63 sentenced to death, 27 convicted, and 181 awaiting trials.
Gyang said that the invaders responsible for the break “walked through a security zone and broke through to have over 200 inmates escape from the Centre.”
He added that the wardens who put up a fight against the invaders were overwhelmed during a gun battle against the attackers.
Contributing, Senator Ahmad Babba Kaita (Katsina North) blamed the spate of insecurity in Nigeria on the inadequate number of personnel across the various security agencies in the country.
He, therefore, called on the National Assembly to rise to the occasion by appropriating more funds to security agencies to enable them undertake recruitment of more personnel.
The Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), attributed the recent jail breaks in the country to what he described as a “porous prisons system”.
He lamented that jailbreaks have become a recurring decimal which, in recent times have exposed the lives of Nigerians to harm, as a result of prisoners on rampage to avenge their conviction.
On his part, the Deputy Whip, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger North), described the string of jail breaks across the country as “unfortunate”.
He said the development which must be tackled headlong was a fallout of correctional services being the weakest link in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
The Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, who presided over plenary on Tuesday, described the security breaches at correctional facilities as a “serious issue” that must be looked into.
Omo-Agege also canvassed for more funding to the Office of the National Security Adviser to facilitate intelligence gathering.
He said, “Having given all the requisite funding to the security agencies, why are we still having these challenges? I think it is something we need to sleep over.
“But in the interim, it is clear that we have a serious intelligence gathering gap, there’s no debate about that.
“I think the Department of State Services (DSS) and most especially the office of the NSA, have not been given the kind of funding that is required for this fight, because they are the ones that are in charge of intelligence gathering.
“I’ve always taken the position that the Office of the NSA, most especially, has been underfunded.
“He is supposed to be the one coordinating intelligence gathering and providing such intelligence to the other agencies for them to give requisite protection.
“If the office of the NSA is not properly funded, then of course it means that we are all in trouble.
“I think this is something that we must appeal to Mr. President, and even here in the leadership of the National Assembly, to look into for additional funding for the office of the NSA and, possibly, that of the DSS before the budget is finally tabled for consideration.”
Accordingly, the Senate in its resolutions called for a reinforcement of physical protection system and mechanism at correctional centres across the nation by the Ministry of Interior to forestall further attempts at jail breaks.
The chamber maintained that the attacks on Ta’egbe and Durbi communities in Plateau North and other communities across the nation requires more decisive and proactive measures by the Chief of Defence Staff and the Inspector General of Police, to secure law abiding citizens from incessant terror attacks, particularly now that the long awaited proscription of bandits as terrorists has been formalised by the Federal Government.
The Chamber also commended the Judiciary for the recent judgement by the Federal High Court declaring all bandits and insurgents as terrorists, adding that doing so has empowered the military to take appropriate action against them.
It also mandated the Committee on Interior to invite the Minister of Interior, the Attorney General of the Federation and Comptroller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, to carry out full scale investigation of the status of correctional centres nationwide, with a view to finding out the challenges to prevent future recurrence of jail breaks.
The Senate, thereafter, observed a minute silence in prayers for the victims from Ta’egbe and Durbi communities, and those who lost their lives during attacks on the Jos Correctional Centre.
