Police re-arrest three inmates who escaped from Imo prison

The Imo state police command says it has re-arrested three prisoners who escaped from the correctional centre in Owerri.

The correctional centre and the police command headquarters in Owerri were attacked on April 5.

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) had said 1,844 inmates escaped from the facility, just as the names and pictures of some of the inmates who fled from custody were also published.

In a statement on Wednesday, Bala Elkana, Imo police spokesman, said one of the inmates, identified as Cosmas Mbamara of Mgbidi in Oru West LGA of the state, was apprehended after sustained monitoring by the police.

He said Mbamara was on trial for murder before he escaped from the correctional centre.

He also said another inmate identified as 35-year-old George Okafor from Ezeachi in Orlu LGA, was also on trial for murder, before he was apprehended by detectives from the Orlu division of the command.

Elkana said detectives from Okigwe division also re-arrested one Levi Nwankwo, aged 35, on May 13 at his hideout at Okigwe.

He said Nwankwo was facing charges of kidnapping and armed robbery before his escape from the correctional centre.

“We have rearrested three escapee prisoners and we will hand them over to the Nigeria correctional service in Imo,” he said.

“We urge escapee prisoners to surrender rather than wait for us because we will find them.”

He, however, added that Abutu Yari, the state commissioner for police, urged the public to continue to support security operatives with credible information to improve security.