The Principal of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Vocational Rehabilitation Centre in Kuchiko-Ija, Bala Tsoho Musa, has confirmed that six inmates escaped from the facility last Friday.
Musa made this statement while responding to allegations of an inmate being tortured to death at the centre. He denied any such incident, stating that none of the escaped inmates resembled the deceased.
The facility, located in a border community between Bwari Area Council of the FCT and Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State, has been reported to have a history of mistreating inmates, with many attempting to escape due to alleged torture and starvation.
According to reports, four inmates, including the deceased, attempted to escape last Friday, with allegations of torture and starvation leading to the death of one of the inmates. However, Musa refuted these claims, stating that no inmate was tortured to death at the centre. The inmates at the centre are mostly destitute individuals arrested from Abuja city centre for public nuisance.
A source quoted by Daily Trust said, “The victim and one other person were arrested and repatriated by the security guards while attempting to jump over the fence of the centre. The victim, who was seriously beaten with sticks, gave up afterwards and his remains were dumped nearby.
“Two escaped inmates brought the information to us.’’
The source said that the corpse of the deceased had been deposited at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Hospital in Sabon-Wuse, in the Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State.
The source said one of the surviving victims was also admitted to the same hospital.
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