Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister of the Interior, has directed officers of the Nigeria Correctional Service to "shoot to kill" anyone who launches an attack on the facility, emphasising that it should be treated as a dangerous zone.
He made the remarks on Monday while viewing the facilities at the Agodi Custodial Centre in Ibadan.
In 2021, at least 5,238 convicts escaped from various prisons around Nigeria. On October 22, around 837 convicts fled the Oyo institution, although the interior ministry reported that 262 were recaptured.
"Any attempt to breach our facility will not be tolerated. Shoot to kill, not to injure. Shoot to kill, not to disable. This institution embodies the Nigerian state's capacity to ensure the security of its citizens," the minister stated in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Sola Fasure.
Mr Aregbesola directed officers to make it difficult for anyone to enter the facility, citing its designation as a "red zone." He stated that any attack on a correctional facility is an attack on the Nigerian state and should never be permitted to happen again.
Whoever attempting to penetrate the security in this location has already perished. He must not have survived to tell the tale. Other individuals will recount his or her storey," he stated.
He stated that the facilities must be decongested in order to accomplish their mission of reforming individuals housed there. He also expressed concern over the high cost of feeding the detainees, stating that state governments should work with the federal government to decongest the institutions.
He stated that the government is developing a list of detainees who are unable to pay their fines in the goal of appealing to willing and able Nigerians to increase the charges in order to release the inmates.
"There are other offenders who have spent significantly more time than the maximum allowed under their sentences if convicted of the offences against them. At Agodi, the total number of prisoners is less than 400, and we have 1001 inmates, which means that around two-thirds of the inmates are awaiting trial," he explained.