By Peter Onyekachukwu 
….As Nigeria’s Prison Security Under Fresh Scrutiny
BY Peter Onyekachukwu
Panic gripped Keffi, Nasarawa State, on Tuesday morning after 16 inmates broke out of the Medium Security Custodial Centre in an audacious jailbreak that left five correctional officers injured, two of them in critical condition.
The escape, which took place in the early hours, has once again exposed deep cracks in Nigeria’s prison security system, coming barely months after similar incidents in other states. Residents of Keffi woke to the sight of heavily armed security operatives patrolling major routes and combing surrounding bush paths in search of the fugitives.
Confirming the incident, Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) spokesman Umar Abubakar said the escape followed a violent breach of the facility’s security.
“Some inmates breached the security of the facility and attacked personnel on duty to compromise the situation,” Abubakar said.
According to him, seven of the escapees have so far been recaptured in coordinated search operations, but nine others remain at large. “We have deployed tactical teams in collaboration with other security agencies to ensure the fugitives are brought back into custody,” he assured.
Five officers were injured during the jailbreak, with three treated and discharged, while two remain hospitalised in serious condition at a government facility. Medical sources say the officers suffered head injuries and multiple fractures from blunt force attacks.
The Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, who arrived in Keffi within hours of the incident, described it as “a serious breach of national security” and ordered an immediate full-scale investigation.
“This service will not condone acts of indiscipline or negligence that compromise the safety of our facilities. Any staff found culpable will face the full weight of the law,” Nwakuche warned.
Security analysts say the Keffi jailbreak fits a troubling pattern of rising prison escapes in Nigeria, often linked to overcrowding, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient personnel. In 2024 alone, over 300 inmates reportedly escaped from different facilities nationwide.
Sources within the prison system told our correspondent that the Keffi facility, which was designed for 300 inmates, currently houses over 500, straining both resources and manpower. “When you have a small number of officers guarding a prison population that’s almost double capacity, you are inviting disaster,” one senior officer said on condition of anonymity.
The NCoS has called on the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious movement, especially in communities around Keffi. Authorities believe some of the remaining fugitives may be hiding within the state or attempting to move towards neighbouring regions.
Meanwhile, a combined operation involving the police, DSS, and NSCDC has set up roadblocks along major highways, while surveillance drones and tracking teams are being used to hunt down the escapees. Residents have been urged to restrict unnecessary night movements until all inmates are accounted for.
The Keffi jailbreak, analysts warn, will likely add pressure on the federal government to urgently overhaul Nigeria’s correctional facilities, improve staffing, and invest in modern security technology or risk even deadlier breaches in the future.