News

Army Blames Kuje Prison Break On Absence Of CCTV, low fence

Published

2 years ago

March 21, 2024

/home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/images-18.jpeg&description=Army Blames Kuje Prison Break On Absence Of CCTV, low fence', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">

/home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/images-18.jpeg&description=Army Blames Kuje Prison Break On Absence Of CCTV, low fence', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">

ADVERTISEMENT

UBy Gloria Ikibah

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has blamed the attack on Kuje Correctional Custodial Centre in Abuja low fencing and absence of CCTV within the general area.

These he said were some of the things that was observed and was not in place before the incident occurred in 2022.

The Army Chief disclosed this during a one-day investigative hearing on two motions, “Decongestion of Correctional Centres in Nigeria” and “Call on the Nigerian Correctional Service to Account for Inmates that escaped from Kuje custodial facility”, on Wednesday in Abuja.

The hearing was organised by the Joint House of Representatives Committees on Reformatory Institutions, Justice, Police Affairs, Interior and Human Rights.

Naijablitznews.com recalled that terrorists broke into the facility on July 5, 2022, and freed hundreds of inmates, including Boko Haram members.

He further stated that prior to that incident, the Nigeria Army through the Guards Brigade Commander, had written series of letters to the Deputy Controller General concerning some of the security observations about the facility.

“We know that the Deputy Controller General is doing is everything possible to see if most of these equipment that would enhance the security is provided. However it was still on the process when the incident happened.

“One of those things was the issue of lightning. During the period, we noticed that there was no lightning within the general area. It’s not as if it was deliberate. Efforts were being made by the Deputy Controller to see if we could find solutions to some of these challenges.

“We also observed that the place where the Kuje Prison is located is more of a built up area and that gives room for a serious security challenge where a lot of civilians are living among the prison environment.

“These are some of the challenges the environment created. We also observed issues of low fencing and CCTV absence within the general area. These are some of the things that we observed and these things were unable to be put in place before the incident. I want to believe that these things would have assisted the guards”.

Lagbaja, who was represented by the Assistant Director, Commercial Law, in the Directorate of Nigerian Army Legal Services, Major Peter Ogbuinya said the situation does not call for trading blame but aimed at getting a possible solution and forestalling a similar occurrence.

He said: “We the Nigerian Army are playing a complementary role to the correctional centre by virtue of provision of guards to assist the correctional centre.

“However in the Correctional Centre, Kuje to be precise, Nigeria Army is not the only security agency that is deployed there. There are other sister agencies that were also deployed. Unfortunately the day the incident took place, there is what we call rotation among the troops, rotation of troops. Take for instance the end of every month, troops would be rotated. New soldiers would be brought in to replace the old ones.

“Unfortunately it was that day during the period of rotation that the incident actually took place. I wouldn’t want to comment on the possibility or otherwise of having an insider, looking at the period the incident took place”.

According to him, soldiers that were deployed at the time were still being probed and if found culpable in the incident would be appropriately punished.

“On our own side, the troops that we deployed are under investigation and the military hierarchy is still working on possibly finding out if there is any of the soldiers that had failed to do what they were expected to do and possibly disciplinary action taken but as it is, it is still within the military hierarchy and military courts to look at the matter critically to know if the soldiers that were deployed had done the needful,” he added.

The Controller General of Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, who stressed the need for the decongestion of the correctional facilities, said Nigeria has a total inmate population of 78, 519 against a capacity of 64, 192.

The CG wasr epresented by the Deputy Controller General, Training and Staff Development, Tukur Mohammed Ahmad,

He said, “The decongestion of custodial centres has become the concern of all and sundry partly due to the unending challenges it causes to the criminal justice system in Nigeria. Efforts are put in place by the Federal Government to cut costs of feeding the inmates which often runs into billions of naira annually.

“The NCOS maintains 265 custodial centres across the country, with the capacity of 64, 192 against a total inmate population of 78, 519 as at March 18, 2024. Of this actual inmate population, 70 percent represents persons on awaiting trial.”

He said to achieve the speedy decongestion of the correctional centres in the country, there is need for the completion of the 3000 capacity new custodial centres that are built across the six geopolitical zones.

Increased unding he said was needed by the Service to achieve these

Earlier, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, lauded the Committees for their joint efforts on the fact-finding mission to the root of the overcrowding nature of correctional centres in addition to the inmates that escaped from Kuje custodial facility, two years ago which left the nation in utter embarrassment.

He said the ultimate objective of the investigative hearing is to examine the activities of the correctional service in order to promote accountability, transparency and responsiveness in the running of the agency for enhanced service delivery, contribute significantly to the overall progress and development of our country.

Chairman of the Committee on Reformatory Institutions, Comrade Chinedu Ogah, said the congestion of custodial facilities across the country is an affront to human rights and a major drawback of the criminal justice system with very dire consequences.

Ogah said incessant violations of correctional centres and inmates escape are extremely embarrassing and a security threat to the nation.

He expressed their resolve for a holistic overhauling of the system for effective and purposeful justice delivery and for optimal performance of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

“I wish to assure you that the Committee with the strongest support of the Leadership of the House, led by Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas (PhD) is poised to engage all legislative tools at its disposal to ensure effective and efficient criminal justice system second to none in the world,” he said.

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, who was represented by Mrs Ayola Daniels said efforts have been ongoing towards decongestion of correctional centres nationwide.

He said the Ministry of Justice supported the efforts to decentralise the correctional service to allow states establish and manage their own correctional centres.

This, he said, was achieved through the alteration of the constitution that moved the correctional service from exclusive to concurrent list.

He said this is expected to fast track the decongestion of Correctional centres nationwide when properly implemented.

News

ECOWAS Parliament Moves to Strengthen MSMEs as Pillars of Regional Trade

Published

22 minutes ago

July 26, 2026

Gloria Ikibah

ADVERTISEMENT

By Gloria Ikibah

Members of the ECOWAS Parliament will this week begin deliberations on strategies to position Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) as key drivers of regional value chains, as part of efforts to boost economic integration and expand opportunities for businesses across West Africa.

The discussions will take place during a delocalised meeting of the Parliament’s Joint Committee on Industry and Private Sector; Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research; Administration, Finance and Budget; and Public Accounts, scheduled to hold in Cotonou, Benin Republic, from 27 to 31 July 2026.

The meeting will focus on the theme, “Empowering MSMEs as Formal Drivers of ECOWAS Regional Value Chains,” reflecting growing recognition of the critical role small businesses play in the region’s economy.

According to a media advisory issued by the Communications Directorate of the ECOWAS Parliament on 21 July 2026, “The ECOWAS Parliament is holding the delocalized Meeting of the Joint Committee on Industry and Private Sector | Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research | Administration, Finance and Budget | Public Accounts, on the theme ‘Empowering MSMEs as Formal Drivers of ECOWAS Regional Value Chains.’”

The meeting comes at a time when policymakers across West Africa are seeking practical ways to unlock the economic potential of MSMEs, which remain the backbone of the region’s private sector.

A United Nations policy brief on the subject indicates that MSMEs account for more than 90 per cent of all businesses and provide about half of total employment across ECOWAS member states. Despite their importance, many of these enterprises continue to operate outside the formal economy and face significant obstacles, including limited access to finance, weak infrastructure and barriers to cross-border trade.

Lawmakers are expected to examine these challenges and develop recommendations aimed at integrating MSMEs more effectively into regional value chains, improving their competitiveness and enabling them to contribute more meaningfully to sustainable economic growth and regional integration.

News

Ambassador Omokri Amid Rejection Rumours Says World Cup Cause of his delayed resumption

Published

4 hours ago

July 26, 2026

EMMANUEL AGAJI

ADVERTISEMENT

Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has dismissed claims that the Mexican government rejected his diplomatic appointment, attributing his delayed resumption instead to the ongoing FIFA World Cup being co-hosted by Mexico and the United States.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today last Monday, the former presidential aide said the delay was due to logistical and diplomatic considerations linked to the global football tournament, stressing that he was not the only Nigerian envoy yet to assume duty. Omokri said reports suggesting that Mexico had declined to accept him as Nigeria’s ambassador were false and were being promoted by political opponents.

“Mexico has not rejected me. Not at all,” he said.Politics He explained that the Mexican government is currently focused on hosting the World Cup alongside the United States, leaving little room to process the arrival of new diplomats. “You should understand that Mexico is right now hosting the World Cup, along with the United States of America, and all of their focus is on that,” Omokri stated.

According to him, several Nigerian ambassadors-designate are also yet to resume at their respective postings for similar reasons.Executive Branch “Most of us ambassadors have not resumed. So, I’m not the only one. A lot of my colleagues are in my situation, but it’s okay. These things happen,” he said. The ambassador-designate also accused members of the opposition of spreading misleading narratives about his appointment, insisting that such claims have no basis in reality. “The opposition will always say things like I have been rejected. We do not work on the basis of the opposition. We work on the basis of reality,” he said.

Omokri expressed confidence that Nigeria continues to enjoy cordial diplomatic relations with countries around the world and maintained that host nations would receive Nigerian envoys in due course. “The reality of it is that we have countries in the world that respect Nigeria, and they’re going to be taking Nigeria’s envoys,” he added.

News

Sad: Young Nigerian reportedly trafficked for commercial s*x dies after rescue

Published

4 hours ago

July 26, 2026

EMMANUEL AGAJI

ADVERTISEMENT

A young Nigerian girl who was trafficked to Cotonou, Benin Republice for prostitution has d!ed.

Sewuese passed away on Friday, July 24, 2026 in Benue State after she was brought home.

Activist, Zege Orkwande, who has been facilitating the rescue of trafficked Benue girls said investigation is ongoing and those who trafficked her will face the full wrath of law.

“People are asking “who took Sewuese to Cotonou”. Trust my process,” he wrote.

“The people that trafficked/smuggled her to Cotonou for prostitution will sure face the law and serve in prison uniform.

“All information gathered. I’m waiting for her to be buried first. REST WELL.”