…₦5m bounty placed on escapees
Seven inmates have escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Ilesa, Osun State, following the collapse of the prison’s perimeter wall caused by a heavy overnight rainfall in the early hours of Tuesday, 20th May 2025.
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) confirmed the incident in an official statement released on Wednesday by its spokesperson, Umar Abubakar. The agency said the wall gave way around 2:00 a.m., allowing the inmates to flee under the cover of the downpour.
Describing the incident as a “force majeure,” the statement said an expansive manhunt has since been launched to track and return the fleeing inmates to custody.
“The Nigerian Correctional Service has launched an expansive manhunt following the rainfall that breached the security of its facility at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Ilesa, Osun State. The force majeure which occurred at about 0200hours on Tuesday, 20th of May 2025 led to the escape of seven (7) inmates,” the statement read.
Worried by the development, the Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, has directed an immediate investigation into the circumstances that led to the breach.
“Following the incident, the Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, has ordered an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the escape,” the statement added.
According to the NCoS, the service is already working with sister security agencies and community leaders to recapture the inmates.
“The service is working closely with sister security agencies as well as community leaders to recapture the escapees and bring them back to custody,” it added.
To further encourage public support, the NCoS has announced a cash reward of ₦5 million for any useful information that leads to the arrest and return of the escapees. It urged anyone with useful details to contact the nearest security agency or reach out via the official complaint and response channels.
“In order to encourage public participation, the Nigerian Correctional Service wishes to inform the general public that a cash reward of ₦5 million is being offered to anyone who provides useful information that leads to the recapture of the fleeing inmates from the Medium Custodial Centre, Ilesha, Osun State,” the statement read.
“All information will be treated with utmost confidentiality and anonymity.”
The public is advised to call the NCoS hotlines on 07087086005, 09060004598, or 08075050006, or send emails to complaintresponsedesk@corrections.gov.ng or info@corrections.gov.ng.
The escape adds to a troubling pattern of jailbreaks in Nigeria, many of which have been linked to poor infrastructure in the country’s ageing prison facilities.
In April 2024, a similar rainfall caused the walls of the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre in Niger State to collapse, leading to the escape of 119 inmates.
A few months later, in September 2024, flooding damaged the perimeter of the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Maiduguri, Borno State, prompting the escape of 281 inmates.
The NCoS said it remains committed to preventing future occurrences and has promised to reinforce security infrastructure across its custodial facilities nationwide.
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