The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has released the names of inmates who escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centres in Keffi, Nasarawa State, and Ilesa, Osun State.
Naija News reports that the list, published on the service’s official website, detailed the escapees, their states of origin, and offences.
At the Keffi facility, escapees include Mohammed Mohammed (24, Kaduna), Yusuf Hassan (21, Adamawa), Shehu Abubakar (20, Kaduna) and Abubakar Jibrin (18, Plateau), all detained for armed robbery.
Others are Abubakar Musa (30, Kaduna), held for stealing; Bilyaminu Usman (20, Bauchi), facing conspiracy and extortion charges; Yusuf Abubakar (18, Jigawa), charged with stealing; Adamu Anas (19, Gombe), held for illegal possession of firearms and armed robbery; and Danlami Baka (27, Bauchi), charged with theft.
From the Ilesa centre, the fugitives include Eze Nweze (armed robbery), Tobi Akin (illegal possession of firearms and theft), Matthew Ogunjimi (unlawful possession of weapons and armed robbery), John Michael, Ninalowo Yusuf and Olalekan Ajofoyinbo, facing charges ranging from armed robbery to breaking and stealing.
In a statement, the NCoS said it is working with security agencies to track down the fugitives.
The statement reads, “The service and other security agencies are on their trail and are expected to be captured soon.”
The Ilesa jailbreak occurred on May 20, 2025, after a heavy downpour caused the collapse of the facility’s ageing perimeter wall. Seven inmates escaped, though one has since been recaptured. Authorities later announced a ₦5m reward for information leading to the arrest of the remaining escapees.
In Keffi, 16 inmates escaped on August 12, 2025, after overpowering correctional officers on duty. Five officers were injured, two of them critically. Seven escapees have since been recaptured.
Reacting to the incidents, the Controller-General of NCoS, Sylvester Nwakuche, criticised what he described as the “lackadaisical attitude” of some personnel.
He warned officers against negligence, noting that lapses in discipline have contributed to repeated breaches in correctional centres.
The latest incidents add to a disturbing trend. Between 2020 and 2025, more than 4,000 inmates have escaped from custodial centres nationwide.
The mass escapes have been blamed on infrastructural decay, underfunding, poor training of personnel, and outdated facilities.
Among the most notorious jailbreaks was the Owerri Custodial Centre attack in April 2021, when 1,844 inmates escaped following an armed raid by suspected separatist militants.
In July 2022, the Kuje prison in Abuja was similarly attacked, leading to the escape of hundreds of inmates, including terrorism suspects awaiting trial.
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