No fewer than 85 inmates who escaped from the Owerri Correctional Centre have returned to the facility voluntarily.
Recall that 1, 884 inmates absconded from the custodial centre and the Imo State Police Command headquarters in Owerri during Monday’s dawn attacks on the facilities by unknown gunmen.
The attackers who razed no fewer than 50 vehicles also attacked a military base at Ukwuorji on the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway and burnt a soldier in a car before they fled.
The Nigeria Correctional Service NCoS) said yesterday that 57 inmates had returned to the centre.
However, findings revealed that more fleeing inmates had returned to the centre increasing the number to 85.
“We now have about 85 inmates as our custody this Wednesday afternoon. We are hopeful that more inmates would return. Though the number has not been made public but I can confirm that as of this afternoon we now have about 85 inmates.
“While some returned on their own accord, others were brought by their lawyers and family members. We are very hopeful that more inmates will come back on their own. This is just a reformative centre and we hope that those of them who have turned new leaf will come back on their own,” Punch quoted a source at the facility as saying.
It was also gathered that none of the hardened criminals had returned to the correctional facility.
Besides, none of the inmates who were sentenced to death or were jailed for life had returned.
