12 prisoners escape in Nigeria jailbreak

Twelve prisoners escaped in an early morning jailbreak in central Nigeria Monday, authorities said.

The escape is the latest in a country where old infrastructure and overcrowding are often faulted for such incidents, although Femi Fanwo, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information, blamed the breakout on "internal compromise and collaboration".

"The circumstances surrounding the escape, including reports suggesting that the inmates fled through the tower without causing structural damage to the facility, raise serious concerns that necessitate a thorough investigation," Fanwo said in a statement.

One of the prisoners has been apprehended, he said.

With deteriorating infrastructure and an overpopulation rate of 147 percent, according to the United Nations, many prisons in the west African nation are vulnerable to escapes.

The UN blames excessive use of pre-trial detention for the overcrowding, with prisoners often waiting years before their trials are held.

Earlier this month, Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said that some 4,000 prisoners were pardoned in 2024 to help ease congestion in the prisons and cut government spending.

On Monday, Tunji-Ojo ordered an investigation into the Kogi state jailbreak.

Last year, nearly 120 people escaped after torrential rains brought down buildings and a perimeter wall in Suleja prison, near the capital, Abuja.

Armed groups have also launched prison breaks. In July 2022, around 600 prisoners, some suspected Islamic State and Boko Haram jihadists, escaped after an attack on Kuje prison, also near Abuja.

In April 2021, over 1,800 prisoners escaped after gunmen attacked a prison in Imo State in southeastern Nigeria.

More than 800 others escaped in another jailbreak in southwestern Oyo state in July of the same year.