By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has ordered an immediate investigy into the unfortunate prison break incident at the Koton Karfe Correctional Centre in Kogi State.

The Minister described the incident as unfortunate, and vowed to ensure all fleeing inmates were captured leveraging the service’s robust biometrics and already deployed technology solutions.

The Minister, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Babatunde Alao, has also ordered the Acting Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Sylvester Ndidi, to visit the facility in Kogi to evaluate the situation, and commence a comprehensive audit to unravel the events that led to the incident.

He said: “We are on top of the situation. Our men are on the ground in Kogi, and I have ordered a comprehensive audit of the situation.”

Twelve inmates had reportedly escaped the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Koton Karfe, Kogi State following an early morning jail break.

Reports said that the incident occurred early Monday morning.

Confirming the report to journalists, National Spokesperson of the Service, Abubakar Umar, said that all the escapees were Awaiting Trial Inmates, (ATI), noting that two har been captured while efforts were on to arrests the ten others.

He said all search mechanisms had been activated to recapture the fleeing inmates.

He said: “Twelve of the inmates in our custody at the Koton Karfe medium custodial centre have escaped. They are all on awaiting trial but as I speak to you now two have been captured.

“We are already working to capture the remaining inmates on the run.”

Umar lamented that one officer was killed in the attack.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally received the petition seeking the recall process of the senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, received the petition on Monday, March 24, 2025.

A Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, had restrained INEC from receiving petitions to initiate a recall process against Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The presiding judge, Justice Isa Dashen, gave the order after listening to the application moved by the counsel for the applicants, Smart Nwachimere of West-Idahosa (SAN) & Co, on Friday, March 21.

The applicants – Anebe Jacob Ogirma, John Adebosi, Musa Adeiza, Ahmed Usman, and Maleek Yahaya – had through their counsel sued INEC for the recall process of Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The applicants prayed the court to order INEC not to receive any petition by purported members of Kogi Central Senatorial District for the purpose of initiating a recall process for Akpoti-Uduaghan, pending the determination of the motion on notice to the same effect.

The ex-parte application for the interim injunction was supported by an Affidavit of Extreme Urgency together with other court processes sworn to by Anebe Ogirima for himself and four others who are registered voters and constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District.

Justice Dashen granted the application and ordered that the court order and motion on notice be served on INEC.

The judge fixed May 6 for the report of service and further mention of the case.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Twelve inmates escaped in an early morning jailbreak at the Federal Correctional Centre in Kotonkarfe, Kogi State, on Monday.

Kogi State Information Commissioner, Kingsley Fanwo, described the incident as “unfortunate” and assured citizens that the government, working with security agencies, would take steps to prevent a recurrence.

According to him, “law enforcement agencies have re-arrested one of the escapees”.

He said that “the theory that the inmates escaped through the tower without causing any structural damage raises serious concerns.

“This calls for a thorough investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the escape, arrest the fleeing inmates, and identify possible saboteurs within the system.”

The commissioner said Governor Usman Ododo had asked security agencies to “ensure such security breaches do not happen again.”

“We call on the public to report any suspicious individuals in their communities.

“Anyone found harbouring an escaped inmate will be held accountable,” he warned.

Fanwo said: “There is no cause for panic. We encourage citizens to go about their daily activities as normal, knowing that the security of lives and property remains our top priority.”