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Sack Aregbesola now over repeated jailbreaks, HURIWA urges Buhari

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, has said the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, must be sacked with immediate effect over his failure to put an end to the incessant attacks on prisons in the country.

HURIWA’s position was contained in a statement on Thursday signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, where it condemned the jailbreaks under Aregbesola’s watch.

The group stated that, in the last five years, there have been over 15 jailbreaks under the former Osun State governor while over 3,000 inmates have escaped from custody.

The PUNCH had reported that terrorists attacked the Kuje Correctional Centre on Tuesday night, heavily armed with explosives, which led to the loss of lives.

During the attack, the terrorists reportedly freed over 600 inmates, including 64 suspected Boko Haram members who were held in custody.

HURIWA also urged the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to quit asking rhetorical questions on how the intelligence system of the country failed to detect Tuesday’s attack at Kuje prison in Abuja on social media.

The group demanded the President immediately set up a judicial panel of inquiry on prison attacks in the country and ensure that such assaults on the entire security apparatus of Nigeria do not recur.

The statement reads in part, “The spate of jailbreaks under President Muhammadu Buhari and Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, is alarming and condemnable. Even under then-President Goodluck Jonathan, who had no military experience or background, jailbreaks weren’t as rampant as what Nigerians see these days.

“The frequent and recurring jailbreaks show the inefficiency of all those President Buhari appointed into office and his unwillingness to sack them show also that the President tacitly want the situation to continue to fester.

“HURIWA demands the sacking of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; and his Defence counterpart, Bashir Magashi; for perpetual incompetence. We also call for a broad-based judicial panel of inquiry on prison breaks in Nigeria to be constituted.”

Rotimi Akeredolu, the Ondo State Governor has raised the alarm over possible jailbreaks due to the withdrawal of soldiers from the Nigeria Correctional Service centres across the state.

This warning was contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Richard Olatunde, on Wednesday.

According to Akeredolu, men of the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Akure, attached to the centres in the states had been withdrawn.

He also expressed worries that the withdrawal of the soldiers could encourage jailbreaks.

The statement read in part, “Last night, Governor Akeredolu received reports from the Commissioner of Police in the state that soldiers attached to the correctional centres in the state had all been withdrawn.

This development came as a surprise, considering the fact that both the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Correctional Service belong to the Federal Government.

“It is, however, pertinent to alert members of the public and the Federal Government to this unwholesome situation. Findings into the remote cause of this action have only revealed that it was an ‘order from above’ without corresponding details.

“The situation notwithstanding, proactive efforts have been made to secure these centres so as not to allow premeditated jailbreaks as whoever gave the order to withdraw those soldiers was in the process of encouraging such.”