Benin Jail Break: Escaped Prisoners Go On Stealing , Raping Rampage

A condemned inmate, Onorede Benjamin, who escaped from the Oko Correctional centre in Edo State has been arrested for snatching a car barely 30 minutes after escaping from custody.

Benjamin and his fellow fugitives have allegedly stolen four cars since leaving the prison.

The others are Adebayo Opeyemi (ex-soldier), Peter Osas, and Hudu Musa.

The police said Benjamin was one of the inmates that fled after the Oko Custodial Centre was attacked on October 21 by hoodlums who exploited the #EndSARS protests.

About 1,993 inmates were freed from the Benin and Oko custodial facilities, Edo State, during the attack on the correctional centres.

Parading the suspects in Abuja on Monday, the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, revealed that the quartet returned to crime as soon as they escaped from lawful custody.

According to Punch, Mba said Benjamin, who was the leader of the criminal gang, drove the stolen vehicle all the way to Kaduna State, where it was eventually sold with the help of Musa.

He said, “Today, we have four persons, who escaped from Oko Correctional Centre in Edo State. As soon as they escaped from prison, they forged a new alliance.

“Between them, they had within this short period snatched a total of four vehicles, including a Toyota Venza SUV.”

“We also have Alh. Musa, who broke the record of stealing 18 cars in a space of 90 days”, the FPRO said.

When asked if he regretted taking to crime after fleeing the prison, Benjamin simply said, “I have no regrets.”

A total of 34 arrested criminal suspects were presented before journalists, for alleged involvement in various crimes, including armed robbery, car theft, unlawful possession and illegal dealing in weapons.

Among them was a female suspect arrested for illegal arms dealing.

Also recovered during the operations were eight cars, eight AK-47 rifles and other assorted weapons.

While urging members of the public to report persons suspected to have fled the correctional centre to the nearest police station, the Force warned that escaped convicts posed serious danger to the society, “as they usually returned to repeat their offences or even crimes that are worse.”