One Of The Fleeing Prisoners From Imo State Correctional Centre Has Been Caught And Burnt To Death By His Community

 

One of the men who escaped from the Imo state Correctional Centre on Monday was set ablaze in his community on Wednesday.

Angry residents of Umuawom village in Ikeduru Local Government Area caught him while allegedly threatening to kill a family member.

The identity of the inmate could not be ascertained as of press time, but the information gotten says that he hailed from the nearby Ogwa community in Mbaitoli but grew up in Umuawom, his maternal home.

He was said to have been involved in the kidnap of an Umuawom indigene. He was remanded for over a year.

On escaping, he was said to have

gone straight to one of the families that testified against him and threatened to deal with the members.

It was gathered that he attempted to carry out his threat by attacking a member of the family with a gun.

Sources said a resident raised the alarm, prompting the villagers to pounce on him, setting him ablaze.

The spokesman of the Imo police command, Orlando Ikeokwu, said he had heard about the incident but was yet to confirm it.

On Tuesday, hoodlums attacked bank customers and snatched their money and valuables at gunpoint on Bank Road and Douglas Road, close to the Government House. One of the victims was robbed of N340,000.

Residents of Uratta, Nekede, Naze, Egbu, Egbeada and Orji fear the freed inmates could seek hideouts in the communities.

At Nekede, a young man who runs a phone charging shop was reportedly attacked by one of the escaped inmates.

In Nekede, residents said die-hard criminals were celebrating their escape from jail.

At Uratta in Owerri North council area, it was gathered that one of the traditional rulers whose wife died in kidnappers’ den hurriedly left his palace and relocated to Abuja after learning that the key suspect was in town.

At Akabo in Ikeduru Local Government Area, it was learnt that a returnee prisoner caused a stir as residents became jittery.

It was gathered that three suspected kidnappers of the wife of the owner of ABC Transport were to appear before the court yesterday, but were among those who escaped. It could not be confirmed whether they were among those who returned.

In the Egbu community in Owerri North, the mother of a three-year-old girl, who was serially raped by one of the inmates, went broke down on learn that the suspect was back.

Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma said nearly 85 of the inmates had returned.

He said some were reaching out through their lawyers on their intention to return to custody.

The governor said those who attacked the police headquarters and the correctional centre came from outside the state.

The governor, who spoke on Channels, claimed the attacks may have been sponsored by political detractors, and that he was preparing a report.

He said: “Hoodlums were hired from outside Imo State and they pretended to be IPOB (the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra) to commit this crime and go away.

“So, it is not about IPOB. Yes, there are aggrieved IPOB members, but most of those carrying out these attacks were brought from outside Imo State.”

The governor said though the attacks created fear among the people, normal business activities had resumed.

“These wicked people intend to distract and destroy our government. But to the glory of God, they were not successful.

“People were already preparing to address press conferences in Abuja as to what they thought would have happened in Imo,” Uzodimma said.

The Nigerian Correctional Service said 48 of the 1,844 escapees returned yesterday.

The spokesman, Francis Enobore, said in a statement: “As at 1550hrs on Wednesday, the Centre has recovered a total of 48 inmates, thus increasing the number of inmates presently in custody to 84, including those who resisted the temptation to escape during the attack.

“Among the escapees, 11 were recaptured by men of the 211 Nigerian Airforce Base, Owerri; others either came back on their own volition or were returned by their relations, traditional rulers and religious leaders.”