Out of the 1900 Inmates who escaped from Oko and Sapele Road Correctional Centres in Benin City, Edo State last Monday, October 19, have voluntarily surrendered themselves.
According to an official of the Correctional Centre in Benin city, he said:
“The Department of State Security, the police and officials of the Nigerian Correctional Services will soon commence a manhunt for the runaway inmates immediately after a seven-day grace the state government gave them has elapsed.
“We have a way of arresting runway prisoners. We will swing into action once the protest calms down nationwide. The earlier they return on their own, the better for them.
“Those who are rearrested will be retried and sentenced to extra seven years if convicted. So, it is in their own interest to return as the governor has given them extra one week of grace to do so.”
Alex Ose, one of the inmates who surrendered himself said that he has been awaiting trial since 2014 after been arrested for armed robbery in Benin.
He said:
“I am innocent of the allegations against me. I was framed up. I am appealing to Governor Obaseki to look into my case.
“I have every opportunity to run, but chose to surrender myself because I am not guilty. The governor should please look seriously into my case.”
