By Ghazali Ibrahim
At least 16 inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Keffi, Nasarawa State, in the early hours of Tuesday, August 12, 2025, after reportedly overpowering prison personnel on duty.
According to a statement by the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) spokesperson, Umar Abubakar, the incident left five officers injured, with two in serious condition and receiving treatment at a government hospital.
“Some inmates breached the security of the facility and attacked personnel on duty to compromise the situation, enabling 16 inmates to escape custody,” Abubakar said.
“In the course of containing the situation, five personnel sustained varying degrees of injury.”
Seven of the escapees have been recaptured, while security agencies are intensifying a manhunt for the remaining nine.
The Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, visited the facility shortly after the breakout and ordered a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the escape.
He warned that any staff found complicit would face disciplinary action.
“Furthermore, he has directed an immediate search to recapture the fleeing inmates in collaboration with sister security agencies,” the NCoS statement added.
Authorities have urged residents to remain calm but vigilant and to report any suspicious activity or sightings of the fugitives to the nearest security post.
This latest incident comes nearly six years after a similar disturbance at the Keffi facility in August 2019, when about 50 inmates reportedly attempted a jailbreak over alleged poor feeding and lack of medical care.
Prison breaks have been a recurring challenge across Nigeria in recent years, with major incidents recorded in Abuja, Oyo, and Benin.
