Jailbreak At Keffi Correctional Centre As 14 Inmates Escape

A jailbreak has occurred at the Keffi Correctional Centre in Nasarawa State, with 14 inmates reportedly escaping from the facility.

Sources told SaharaReporters that the incident happened on Tuesday, though details remain sketchy. “There has been a jailbreak in Keffi Prison and 14 prisoners escaped,” a prison source confirmed.

This comes nearly six years after a similar disturbance at the same facility. On August 15, 2019, reports claimed that about 50 inmates had attempted a mass breakout, citing poor feeding and lack of medical facilities. The situation was eventually brought under control by the Police, the IGP Special Technical Squad, and other security operatives.

At the time, prison authorities denied any escape attempt, describing the unrest as a protest by some inmates who were prevented from smoking cigarettes inside the yard—a violation of prison regulations. The then Nasarawa State Controller of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Emmanuel Okoro, said the smokers became aggressive but were restrained, and order was restored.

Efforts to reach the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Umar Abubakar, were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls or messages.