The Kogi State government has accused critics and political opponents of Governor Yahaya Bello of being behind the attack on the Kabba Correctional Centre, where over 250 inmates escaped.
Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, made the assertion on Friday in Lokoja.
But he said that the governor had given marching orders for the fleeing inmates to be tracked and rearrested.
On September 13, unknown gunmen attacked the Kabba Custodial facility with explosives, killing two soldiers and injuring others.
Over 200 inmates escaped from the facility.
Fanwo said that the attack was meant to rubbish Bello’s security architecture and his political strategies. This was also as he revealed that the state government was already looking into the attack, with a view to fishing out those sabotaging the state.
Fanwo said about 126 inmates had returned to the centre willingly, and urged the federal government to strengthen security agencies and correctional facilities in Nigeria in order to avoid a recurrence of such jailbreaks.
He said Kogi State was ready to work with the FG to create an impenetrable custodial centre and strengthen security forces in the state.
He also said specific security attention should be given to correctional centres where Boko Haram and other high profile inmates are being held.
“We have intelligence as regards planned attack on the Kabba Custodial centre which we communicated to the appropriate quarters. We were assured that 20 military men would be stationed to counter any aggression.
“People should not also undermine the fact that there are high-profile criminal inmates in the Custodial Centre and their members would do anything possible to free them. That is why we want the government to do more to protect correctional facilities,” he said.
He said the jailbreak had taught the state a great lesson, which would further propel it to do more in rejigging the security architecture of the state.
He stated: “Despite all odds, the state remains one of the best and safest states in the country as regards security matters. This rubbish will make us more formidable in our war against crimes and criminality.”