Jos prison attack : 6 bodies recovered as headcount begins, 8 fleeing inmates rearrested

In the wake of the attack by gunmen on the Correctional Facility in Jos, the Plateau State capital, six bodies have been recovered by officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS.

While it not clear if the bodies are those of the gunmen, inmates or officials, the state Command of NCoS has begun conducting a headcount.

This is to ascertain the number of inmates that escaped from the Jos Correctional Centre, following the attack on Sunday.

ASC Geofrey Longdiem, the Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the command, disclosed this to newsmen on Monday in Jos.

The gunmen invaded the prison yard on Sunday evening, but were resisted by the armed personnel of combined security agencies in the state.

Some of the inmates have, however, escaped from the facility during the attack.

The Police Command in the state has arrested eight of the escaped inmates and promised to arrest all others whom are still at large.

Longdiem said that the headcount would enable the NCoS to have an accurate number of inmates that had escaped from the facility.

“We are currently doing a headcount of the inmates. This exercise will enable us know how many inmates have escaped,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Police Command in Plateau says it has arrested eight of the inmates who had earlier escaped during the attack on the Jos Correctional centre by gunmen.

ASP Ubah Ogaba, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Jos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that gunmen on Sunday evening invaded the prison yard and some of the inmates escaped from the facility.

Ogaba said that of the eight fleeing inmates, seven were rearrested by the police while one voluntarily surrendered himself.

“Yesterday, at about 5:20 p.m., the medium-security custodial centre in Jos came under attack by yet-to-be identified gunmen.

“Immediately we received the report, the Commissioner of Police in the State, CP Bartholomew Onyeka, who led reinforcement to the scene, directed that the entire centre be cordoned.

“The CP also ordered immediate stop and search and seven inmates who escaped were re-arrested by the Police and are in Custody.

“One of them voluntarily surrendered himself to the Police,” Ogaba said.

The PPRO said that Policemen and other security personnel are currently on the ground to effectively deprive the hoodlums of the space they desire to perpetrate their evil acts.

Ogaba promised to make details available as the search for the other escaped inmates continues. (Based on reports by Vanguard and NAN)