Police recover phones used in attempted jailbreak from prisons officers

By Jethro Ibileke

Edo State Police Command on Friday said it recovered from prisons officers, two phones allegedly used by prison inmates to communicate with suspects implicated in the attempted jailbreak at the Oko Prisons, in Benin.

This claim has however been denied by the State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCS.

The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. DanMallam Mohammed, disclosed this while parading suspects arrested in connection with the incident.

The suspects arrested in connection with the jailbreak are; Amos Isiky (35), Oheneme Kingsley (40) and Raphael Ebisin (34).

According to Mohammed, “their intention [suspects] was to use dynamites and improvise explosive devices (IUD), to blow up the facility with a view to liberating some of their gang members detained in the prison since December, 2017.”

“One Nokia 3310 and FERO Android phone with MTN numbers 0810 104 1817 and 0816 874 4240 respectively, were recovered from Prison Officers.”

Also recovered from the suspects were one long-barrel gun, and an Infinix phone.

When contacted, the image maker of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Aminu Suleman, said no officer of the service was arrested in connection with phones.

“That is not correct. The Commissioner of Police cannot say that phones were recovered from officers of the prisons. No prison officer has been arrested. Phones recovered from those who were arrested are not from prison officers. The phones were recovered in the operation with efforts from Nigeria Prisons Service.

“The suspects were having contacts with the inmates. There are various means of communication. You know that inmates are allowed to have visitation from their relatives, that is permitted,” he said.