The jailbreak at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Keffi, Nasarawa State, is another embarrassing reminder that Nigeria’s prisons are not as secure as they should be.
Development Diaries reports that 16 inmates escaped from the centre in the early hours of Tuesday.
According to a statement by the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) spokesperson, Umar Abubakar, the escapees overpowered personnel on duty during the jailbreak and injured five officers in the process.
The service says seven fugitives have been recaptured, leaving nine still at large.
While the NCoS has assured the public of an ongoing manhunt, the incident once again exposes the fragile state of security in correctional facilities nationwide.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case. Nigeria has seen an alarming rise in jailbreaks over the last decade.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) Handbook on Dynamic Security and Prison Intelligence (Criminal Justice Handbook Series) notes that the credibility of any prison system rests on its capacity to keep inmates securely in custody.
Sadly, recurring incidents have eroded what little credibility remains in Nigeria’s correctional system.
Between 2015 and 2022, there were at least 13 successful jailbreaks and eight unsuccessful attempts, freeing over 6,600 inmates, according to Hope Behind Bars Africa.
By 2025, the number of incidents had risen to 18, with nearly 9,000 inmates escaping custody, many of whom remain unaccounted for.
The Keffi breakout comes barely a year after 118 inmates fled the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger State, when heavy rainfall weakened and collapsed part of the prison wall.
The recurrence of these incidents exposes two chronic weaknesses: poor infrastructure and inadequate manpower.
Many custodial facilities, such as Suleja and now Keffi, suffer from decades-old, dilapidated structures that are easily compromised by force or even adverse weather conditions.
At the same time, officers often face these security breaches with limited equipment, insufficient training, and poor working conditions, making them vulnerable to attacks from determined inmates.
Apart from endangering the officers, these vulnerabilities erode public confidence in the country’s correctional system.
Development Diaries calls on Controller General of the NCoS, Sylvester Nwakuche and Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo to begin an overhaul of prison security systems, invest in modern infrastructure, provide officers with proper training and adequate gear, and close the loopholes.
Without decisive reforms, these escapes will remain a recurring feature, further undermining justice and public safety.
Photo source: BBC
