Owerri Prison Break: FG Assures Amnesty If

Owerri Prison Break: The Federal government of Nigeria has assured prisoners who escaped from the Correctional Centre in Owerri, the Imo state capital, of amnesty if they voluntarily return.

OnyxNews Nigeria gathered that the Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, gave the assurance while inspecting the centre on Tuesday following last Monday’s breakout following an attack on the prison facility by unknown gunmen.

The minister said that unlawful escape from custody was a crime but assured that willful returnees will be exempted from the trial for unlawful escape, but not for the actual crimes for which they were initially convicted.

He advised the escapees to return and promised to ensure that those involved in the attack were brought to justice.

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According to the minister, “the Federal Government will leave no stone unturned to fish out perpetrators of what he described as a “dastardly act”.

”Unlawful escape from custody is a crime but the government in its magnanimity will grant amnesty to prisoners who willfully return.

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”They will no longer be charged with an unlawful escape but only for the initial crimes that took them to prison. So we urge all escapees to return before they are caught on the run,” he said.

Speaking, Deputy Controller of Correctional Service in charge of Owerri correctional centre, DCC Seye Oduntan, explained that 36 inmates stayed back after the attack while six persons had so far returned.

He pleaded members of the public to put hope in security agencies and feed them with useful information that would enable the arrest of the escapees.

NAN