Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State on Monday condemned the attack on a correctional facility in Jos, the state capital, by yet to be identified gunmen.
The Governor, through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Dr. Makut Macham, while condemning the unfortunate incident, however, praised the gallantry of officers and men of the Jos Custodial Centre who rose to the occasion to thwart the plans of the criminals whose mission was to facilitate the escape of inmates and also cause destruction to the facility.
DAILY POST recalls that at about 17:20 hours on Sunday, the facility came under attack by yet to be identified gunmen who reportedly stormed the centre in large numbers with sophisticated weapons; and so far, six bodies have been recovered.
Lalong also praised the quick reaction of other security agencies including the Police, Operation Safe Haven, Department of States Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Operation Rainbow who responded swiftly to the situation and took charge of the general area leading to the entrapment of the assailants as well as the arrest of fleeing inmates.
While describing the sad event as “one too many in the nation’s correctional system”, the Governor said, “It is high time a holistic approach is applied in bringing such attacks and jailbreaks to an end in order to guarantee the safety of inmates, correctional officers, and the larger society from criminals who choose to attack the very essence of our nation’s legal system by disrupting law and order.”
While directing an immediate boosting of security measures around all Custodial facilities in the State, Lalong assured that “the State Government will work with the Federal Government in every way possible to ensure that all Correctional Facilities in the State are protected from such attacks”.
The Governor asked citizens of the state to remain calm and go about their legitimate duties with utmost vigilance by reporting any suspicious activity to security agencies for prompt and decisive action.
He said the government will continue to make Plateau unbearable for criminals by sustaining the proactive measures adopted against all criminal enterprises.
