By Umar Muhammed, Lafia
In the wake of last week’s jailbreak at the Keffi Medium Correctional Centre, Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has called for urgent collaboration with the Federal Government to speed up trials for inmates languishing in custody without judgment.
Governor Sule visited the facility on Wednesday to see conditions firsthand after 16 inmates escaped, some of whom have since been re-arrested. He noted that a large portion of those awaiting trial in Keffi have cases pending in courts within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja—a situation he says contributes heavily to overcrowding.
Addressing inmates, the governor urged them to remain of good conduct and assured that his administration would push for mechanisms to fast-track trials. In a bid to improve living conditions, he ordered the immediate supply of 500 mattresses after observing that many inmates were forced to sit and sleep on bare floors.
Sule commended officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service and other security agencies for their swift action in recapturing some of the escapees. He also appealed to residents to remain alert and report suspicious movements to security operatives to aid in apprehending the remaining fugitives.
The governor’s visit, he said, was aimed at getting an unfiltered account of the jailbreak and addressing the systemic issues—chief among them, the high number of inmates awaiting trial.