THE Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has released the official identities of inmates who recently escaped from two separate custodial centres in Keffi, Nasarawa State, and Ilesa, Osun State, as concerns grow over repeated breaches in Nigeria’s prison system.
News Point Nigeria reports that the details, published on the NCoS official website, accessed by News Point Nigeria, reveal that most of the escapees were being held for violent crimes ranging from armed robbery to illegal possession of firearms.
At the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Keffi, which recorded a jailbreak on August 12, 2025, the following inmates were confirmed to have fled:
Mohammed Mohammed (24), Kaduna – Armed robbery
Yusuf Hassan (21), Adamawa – Armed robbery
Shehu Abubakar (20), Kaduna – Armed robbery
Abubakar Jibrin (18), Plateau – Armed robbery
Abubakar Musa (30), Kaduna – Stealing
Bilyaminu Usman (20), Bauchi – Criminal conspiracy and extortion
Yusuf Abubakar (18), Jigawa – Stealing
Adamu Anas (19), Gombe – Illegal possession of firearms/armed robbery
Danlami Baka (27), Bauchi – Robbery
According to the service, 16 inmates escaped after overpowering correctional officers on duty. Five officers were injured in the process, with two still in critical condition at a government hospital. So far, seven of the escapees have been recaptured.
At the Ilesa Custodial Centre in Osun State, a jailbreak occurred on May 20, 2025, after a heavy overnight rainfall collapsed the ageing perimeter wall, enabling seven inmates to escape around 2:00am.
The fugitives include:
Eze Nweze – Armed robbery
Tobi Akin – Illegal possession of firearms/robbery
Matthew Ogunjimi – Illegal possession of firearms/armed robbery
John Michael – Armed robbery
Ninalowo Yusuf – Breaking and stealing
Olalekan Ajofoyinbo – Armed robbery
Only one of the seven has been recaptured, while the service announced a ₦5 million reward for credible information leading to the arrest of the remaining escapees.
In a statement, the NCoS assured that it was working with other security agencies to track down the fugitives.
“The service and other security agencies are on their trail and are expected to be captured soon,” the statement read.
The Controller General of the Service, Sylvester Nwakuche, however, expressed disappointment over what he described as a “lackadaisical attitude” by some officers, warning that negligence would no longer be tolerated.
The twin incidents add to Nigeria’s troubling record of custodial facility breaches. Between 2020 and 2025, more than 4,000 inmates have escaped across the country, according to NCoS records and media reports.
Among the most notorious incidents were the April 2021 jailbreak in Owerri, Imo State, where 1,844 inmates escaped after an armed assault, and the 2022 Kuje prison attack in Abuja, during which hundreds of inmates including terrorism suspects fled.
A security expert, Sani Tsohon Dan Sanda told News Point Nigeria that unless urgent reforms are implemented, jailbreaks will continue to undermine Nigeria’s justice system and further endanger communities.