The Nigerian Army attributed the Kuje prison break on July 5, 2022, to the lack of Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at the facility. This assertion was made by Major Peter Ogbuinya, the Assistant Director of Commercial Law at the Directorate of Nigerian Army Legal Services, during an investigative hearing held by the House of Representatives Joint Committees on Reformatory Institutions, Justice, Police Affairs, Interior, and Human Rights in Abuja,Daily Trust reports.
Ogbuinya noted that following the jailbreak, it was evident that the prison was situated in a densely populated area and lacked adequate security measures such as a high fence and CCTV surveillance.
He emphasized that the Nigerian Army’s role in providing security at Correctional Centres is supplementary and that they had regularly communicated their security concerns to the Comptroller General of the Correctional Service prior to the incident.
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Regarding the possibility of insider involvement, Ogbuinya refrained from commenting, stating that the army was investigating the matter internally to ascertain if any personnel had neglected their duties.
Mrs. Ayoola Daniel, representing the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, expressed the ministry’s support for efforts to decongest correctional centers across the country. She highlighted the transition of correctional services from the exclusive to the concurrent list, indicating that state governments were now responsible for alleviating overcrowding in the facilities.
Additionally, Mr. Philip Ayuba, the Assistant Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), proposed enlisting members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to provide legal assistance to prisoners, particularly in minor cases, as a means to reduce prison overcrowding.
