Following the attacks by gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram members at Kuje Correctional Centre, which led to the escape of over 600 inmates, Tuesday night, there is tight security in and around the Correctional Centre in Jos, the Plateau State capital, on Wednesday.
The road leading to the correctional centre situated opposite the Police Command Headquarters was barricaded with an iron bar when our correspondent visited the facility, Wednesday afternoon.
It was observed that vehicles plying the road were only allowed to pass after a thorough search by security operatives manning the checkpoint.
Some armed operatives from the Department of the State Security Service and other security agents were seen patrolling the premises of the prison whose roofs were yet to be replaced after they were removed some months ago for repairs.
Efforts to get across to the spokesman for the Plateau State Command of the Nigeria Correctional Service were unsuccessful.
However, a senior official of the service, who spoke to The PUNCH in Jos on Wednesday on condition of anonymity, said they were not taking the security breach at the Kuje for granted.
The source said, “What do you expect us to do if not to step up security in this place?
You know that the attack on Kuje prison is a daring one by those who perpetrated it. Nigerians are talking about it and we are not taking it for granted because we don’t want what happened in Kuje to happen here again at the Jos Correctional Centre.
“I’m sure other prison facilities across the country may have taken extra measures to safeguard their facilities too. Moreover, you are aware that a similar attack happened here at the Jos Correctional Centre recently in November last year where over 200 inmates also escaped while others died during the attack by gunmen.
“I know that after the attack, a search team was put in place to recapture the fleeing inmates but I’m not sure if all of them have been recaptured up till now. So, if you see an unusual security presence around Jos Correctional Centre, especially given the security challenge we are facing at the moment, you can understand why we are doing what we are doing.”
The Spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred, also said that the command was leaving no stone unturned to ensure adequate security in the state.
“The Commissioner of Police does that (deployment of personnel) every time to protect the headquarters and other facilities from coming under attack. If you see additional deployment of police personnel to the command headquarters or elsewhere, maybe the attack on Kuje prison is just a pointer to what we have been doing because it is a normal routine for the CP to ensure the security of lives and property in the state,” The PPRO added.
