By IBIRONKE ARIYO

An NGO, Hope Behind Bars Africa (HBBA) has identified overcrowding and delayed justice as major contributors to recurring jailbreaks in the country.

This is contained in a statement in Abuja on Friday by Mr Obinna Ejiogu, Senior Communications Officer of the organisation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that seven inmates escaped from the Ilesa Custodial Centre on Tuesday, May 20, after a section of the facility?s perimeter fence collapsed during a heavy downpour.

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) had already launched a nationwide manhunt for the escapees whose names and photographs had been released with a N5 million reward for information leading to their arrest.

Ejiogu said that the jailbreak, which comes barely two months after a similar incident in Koton Karfe, was a symptom of deeper systemic challenges.

?These recurring incidents point to a justice system under strain, where inmates are held for long periods without trial, and facilities are overstretched beyond capacity,? he said.

Ejiogu noted that custodial centres across the country were plagued by infrastructural decay, lack of modern security systems and poor staff motivation, all of which contributed to security lapses.

He called on the government to adopt urgent measures including, promoting non-custodial sentencing for non-violent offenders, accelerating the trial process to reduce prolonged detentions.

?Other recommendations are conducting structural assessments and upgrading infrastructure, introducing disaster preparedness protocols to safeguard facilities among others.

?The longer inmates remain in custody without trial, the higher the risk of unrest and escape,? Ejiogu said.

He urged the authorities to adopt proactive and sustainable reforms that not only secure custodial centres but also uphold the rights and dignity of inmates.

He also reaffirmed the commitment of the organisation to criminal justice reform and called for correctional facilities that served the dual purpose of security and rehabilitation. (NAN)

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