The suspect whose trial is still ongoing, won the beauty pageant held at Kirikiri correctional facility to mark the 2022 International Women’s Day.

Commenting on the development, Enobore said it is part of the Nigerian prison reformation and rehabilitation programme and to also keep the inmates in a sound and good spirit.

He also revealed that to keep inmates in a high spirit, the correctional centres engage them in exciting competitions likes; pageantry, cooking competitions among others.

The prison spokesperson said; “What happened is that as part of our reformation and rehabilitation programme and to also keep the inmates in a sound and good spirit, we organise a number of social engagement amongst them. Some could be recreational activities, some could be theatre work like entertainment.There are a number of programs that we introduced to get the inmates happy and put them in a good frame of mind. First, we ensure that while they are there, they are open to correction, second, we ensure that they are there in good spirit in order to help them kill boredom. There are so many things we do. In line with this, the officer in charge of the Kirikiri correctional facility organised some competitions among the inmates like cooking, tailoring, make-up, among others.These are things that will make them happy because our primary responsibility is to keep them safe and sound. That was what happened and she emerged the best in the competition. It is part of what we do. In fact, the person in charge of the Kirikiri female prison has been doing marvellously well.”

The controller made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Lagos.

He said “the pardon, however, will depend on whether the inmates under consideration will meet the criteria. The criteria include critical illness, old age and more than 10 years in custody, among others. But any inmate involved in defilement or rape case will not be scrutinised or considered.”

On the importance of the exercise, he said it would enhance the decongestion of custodial centres in the state, “for instance, the custodial centre in Ikoyi was constructed to accommodate only 800 inmates but as we speak, there are over 2,500 inmates there. I am using this opportunity to thank the committee and our passionate partners in the exercise, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, and Controller-General of NCOs, among others.”

The Service Public Relations Officer, Mr Francis Enobore, disclosed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria early Tuesday in Abuja.

Mrabure said that the assignment, which would be carried out in collaboration with other security organisations has commenced with a Search and Recover Operations to recapture the fleeing inmates.

NAN reports that the Owerri Custodial Centre in Imo had been attacked by unknown gunmen who forcefully released a total of 1,844 inmates in custody.

The attackers, who stormed the facility at about 02:15hrs on Monday, April 5, 2021, gained entrance into the premises by using explosives to blast the administrative block.

They were said to have arrived at the centre in their large number in several Hilux Pick-Up vans and Sienna buses armed with sophisticated weapons and immediately engaged the security personnel on duty in a fierce gun battle. The invaders eventually detonated explosives to gain entrance.

Mrabure appealed to the good citizens of Imo and indeed Nigerians to volunteer useful information that would facilitate the recapture of the fleeing inmates.

He, however, assured the people that the security of custodial centres across the country remained sacrosanct.

He equally directed all officers attached to custodial facilities to remain vigilant at this trying period of the NCoS.