Following the recent jailbreak at the Ilesa Medium Security Correctional Centre in Osun State, there has been a significant increase in security presence around the facility.
According to Vanguard, the Ayeso axis, where the centre is situated, is now heavily guarded by a joint team of armed personnel, including operatives from the military, Department of State Services, Nigeria Police Force, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Although journalists were denied access to the premises, heavily armed and hooded security agents could be seen patrolling the area.
Speaking on the development, the Public Relations Officer of the Osun State Command, Joel Oyedokun, confirmed the intensified security efforts.
He further disclosed that the head of the correctional service in the state has moved to Ilesa to oversee the search for the escapees in person.
“The Army, DSS are working with us to bring back those who escaped from the facility,” Oyedokun stated.
The identities of the escaped inmates have now been made public, even as the Osun State Police Command insists it has yet to receive any formal report regarding the jailbreak.
According to the command’s spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, the police have only learned of the incident through informal channels and are still awaiting an official notification from the Nigerian Correctional Service.
“We have also heard about the escape, but no formal communication has been made to us by the Correctional Service,” Ojelabi told journalists.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has placed a bounty of N5 million on any credible information that leads to the arrest of the seven escapees who fled the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Ilesha, Osun State on Tuesday.
This announcement was made in a statement released on Wednesday in Abuja by the NCoS spokesperson, DCC Abubakar Umar.
“To encourage public assistance, the Nigerian Correctional Service is offering a reward of N5 million for any useful tip that results in the capture of the fleeing inmates,” Umar stated.
He further appealed to the public to contact the nearest security agency with any information, assuring that all tips would be handled with strict confidentiality.