25 inmates out of the 1,900 prisoners who escaped from Oko and Sapele Road Correctional Centres in Benin City, Edo State last Monday, October 19, have voluntarily surrendered themselves to the authorities.
ThisDay reported that an official of the Sapele Road
Correctional Centre who disclosed this, further revealed that one of the
escapees had been recaptured after he was shot in the leg last Wednesday.
It was further gathered that two out of the 25 inmates who
returned were inmates at the Oko Medium Correctional Centre along Airport Road,
Benin.
He said;
“The Department of State Security, the police and officials
of the Nigerian Correctional Services will soon commence a manhunt for the
runaway inmates immediately after a seven-day grace the state government gave
them has elapsed.
“We have a way of arresting runway prisoners. We will swing
into action once the protest calms down nationwide. The earlier they return on
their own, the better for them.
“Those who are rearrested will be retried and sentenced to
extra seven years if convicted. So, it is in their own interest to return as
the governor has given them extra one week of grace to do so.”
One of the inmates, Alex Ose who revealed why he returned to
the correctional facility stated that he has been awaiting trial since 2014
when he was arrested for armed robbery in Benin.
The 40-year-old
father of four and a taxi driver insisted that he was innocent and also
expressed confidence that he will be vindicated by the court.
Ose said;
“I am innocent of the allegations against me. I was framed
up. I am appealing to Governor Obaseki to look into my case.
“I have every opportunity to run, but chose to surrender myself because I am not guilty. The governor should please look seriously into my case.”
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