Three weeks after 10 suspects reportedly escaped from a police detention facility in Yenegoa, Bayelsa state another attempt was averted on Friday, December 1.
Asuquo Amba, the state commissioner of police, who confirmed the incident, in a telephone with Sahara Reporters, said the incident occurred when they suspects were having their bath on Thursday, November 30.
Amba said the suspects over-powered the policeman, who opened the iron bar, and attempted to flee only to discover that the outer gate in the facility was locked.
He said: “It was a tense situation but the prompt alertness of other policemen around the area saved the situation, none of the suspects escaped but the fact of the matter is that we do not have proper detention facilities.
“It is a makeshift arrangement, an office with burglar proof. We were lucky to avert this one but that does not mean that it will not happen again. The suspects can still plan another one. We desperately need to build proper detention facilities to hold suspects.
“The makeshift facilities we have are overstretched and we have written to the state government as well as engaged the judiciary to quicken the dispensation of justice because it is the slow pace of prosecution that makes our facilities overcrowded.
“The dearth of facilities here is hampering our efforts at policing the state.”
The police said that three of the fleeing suspects have been rearrested.
An earlier report shows that two hardened criminals have reportedly broken out of Enugu maximum security prison successfully in the wee hours of Saturday, October 7.
In efforts to ascertain the authenticity of the report, the Public Relations Officer of the prison, Monday Emeka, allegedly refused to reply inquiries made to him.
Vanguard reports that Emeka picked the initial first call call but refused to make any statement.
