A total of 3,906 prisoners, who fled some of the nation’s custodial centres during various incidences of prison breaks, are still at large.
The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, disclosed this on Thursday during the weekly ministerial briefing, hosted by the Presidential Media Team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to Aregbesola, a total of 4,369 inmates escaped from the centres from 2020 till date, adding that 984 of the number had so far been recaptured.
He however noted that the biometrics of all custodial inmates in the country had been taken, which he said would enable the escapees to be 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 centres.
