A total of 3,906 inmates who escaped from various custodial centers in the country at still at large, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has revealed.
Appearing on a media briefing organized by the Presidential Media Team at the presidential villa, Abuja on Thursday, he said a total of 4,369 inmates escaped from the centers from 2020 till date.
Out of this, he said, 984 have been recaptured.
According to him, the biometrics of all custodial inmates in the country have been taken, which he said will enable the escapees to be tracked and rearrested.
He said: “How long can they continue to run from the state?
The state is a patient bird. You can run but you can never hide.
“We have their biometrics. Whenever and wherever they appear to transact any business, their cover will be blown.”
Aregbesola also said that 465 inmates are running various Degrees around the country, adding that 85 of this are running postgraduate programmes including four who are doing Ph.D programmes.
He said 560 inmates have been enrolled for WAEC/NECO examinations while 2,300 are enrolled for Adult Literacy classes in several custodial centers.
Details later… (Tribune)