By Prosper Olayiwola
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has published the names of inmates who recently escaped from two custodial centres in Keffi, Nasarawa State, and Ilesa, Osun State.
The list, now available on the service’s official website, contains the identities, states of origin, and charges of the fugitives. 
Keffi Escapees
From the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Keffi, Nasarawa State, the following inmates were declared at large:
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) – Conspiracy and extortion
Yusuf Abubakar (18, Jigawa) – Stealing
Adamu Anas (19, Gombe) – Illegal possession of firearms and armed robbery
Danlami Baka (27, Bauchi) – Theft
Authorities confirmed that 16 inmates broke out of the Keffi facility on August 12, 2025, after overpowering correctional officers on duty. Five officers sustained injuries during the melee, two of them critically. Seven of the fugitives have since been re-arrested.
Ilesa Escapees
At the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Ilesa, Osun State, the following inmates remain on the run:
Eze Nweze – Armed robbery
Tobi Akin – Illegal possession of firearms and theft
Matthew Ogunjimi – Unlawful possession of weapons and armed robbery
John Michael – Armed robbery
Ninalowo Yusuf – Armed robbery
Olalekan Ajofoyinbo – Breaking and stealing
The Ilesa jailbreak occurred on May 20, 2025, when a heavy downpour caused the collapse of the facility’s dilapidated perimeter wall. Seven inmates escaped during the incident, though one has since been recaptured. Authorities later placed a ₦5 million bounty on information leading to the arrest of the remaining escapees.
NCoS Response
In a statement, the NCoS confirmed that it is collaborating with security agencies to track down the fugitives.
The Controller-General of NCoS, Sylvester Nwakuche, has since criticised what he described as the “lackadaisical attitude” of some correctional officers, warning that negligence and indiscipline have contributed to repeated breaches across custodial facilities.
Recurring Problem of Jailbreaks
The latest incidents add to a troubling pattern of prison breaks in Nigeria. Between 2020 and 2025, more than 4,000 inmates have escaped from correctional centres across the country.
Analysts and rights groups have consistently blamed the mass escapes on infrastructural decay, underfunding, inadequate training of personnel, and obsolete security systems.
Some of the most notorious jailbreaks in recent years include:
Owerri Custodial Centre (April 2021): 1,844 inmates freed after a coordinated armed attack by suspected separatists.
Kuje Prison, Abuja (July 2022): Hundreds of inmates, including terrorism suspects awaiting trial, escaped following a heavily armed assault.
The frequent breaches have raised concerns about Nigeria’s capacity to secure its correctional facilities, with experts urging urgent reforms to prevent further compromises to national security.
