Preliminary investigation into the November 28, 2021 jail break in Jos Correctional Centre has revealed that insiders cooperation was responsible for the ease with which the attackers carried out their operation without resistance.
This was disclosed by the Controller of the Medium Correctional Centre, Samuel Aguda, when executive members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Plateau State Branch, visited the centre as part of activities to mark the NBA Week. The NBA team was led by its chairman, Yakubu Bawa, to solidarise with the officials of the centre over the incident.
Aguda disclosed to his visitors that some of the inmates were not happy with the way the management was running the centre, adding that before the invasion, most of the inmates were already aware and got prepared. According to him, the inmates were responsible for the success of the attackers as they showed them all the routes of the centre.
Aguda argued that the attackers operated from an informed angle as they beat the security on ground, did what they wanted to do and left a short but sharp shock at the end of their operation.
He revealed further that it was after they had left that the personnel of the correctional service cried for help from sister security agencies.
“When other security agencies arrived, they cordoned off the entire correctional centre without any resistance, wondering what was happening inside.
“It was when they opened and entered the centre that they discovered that the attackers had accomplished their mission and left a long time ago,” Aguda recounted.
The NBA chairman expressed shock and disbelief that the attackers carried out their nefarious operation neatly without resistance in the presence of security operatives as if they were charmed.
Bawa, who was visibly annoyed and shocked, described the whole episode as melodramatic, adding that it was not only a setback for the state but for the country at large.
He urged the authorities to intensify efforts to bring the perpetrators of the ∂act to justice.