17-year-old Silas Anidi, who slit the throat of an 11-year-old girl for rituals in 2015, and 22 other inmates escaped from the Ministry of Women Affairs and Development Remand Home in Sapele.
The inmates, all within ages 14 to 17, escaped from custody on July 30 and August 2 in what a staff of the home described as a carefully orchestrated escape plot, Vanguard reports.
The inmates who escaped were being held for offenses such as rape, robbery, murder, and burglary. The incident was kept away from the public until recently uncovered.
A staff, who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity said: “The routine has always been to open the door of the home for the minors every morning for their daily chores, while two or three of them go to prepare their meal but the female correction officer, Mrs. Esther Micah, somehow took the keys to church and did not return until 11:30 am.
Upon her return, hungry and probably angered by her actions, 11 of them attacked her and fled through the back fence of the home and of course with only three staff on duty, there was little, they could do.
“Though three of the escaped inmates were arrested on the same day by members of the vigilante in the area along Sapele/Warri road and brought back to the home, two other inmates escaped the next day when the same correction officer went to open the door for them to have their bath.
Three days later, 12 other inmates plotted their getaway when they broke the lock to their hall with an iron bar and escaped through the back of the home.”
The Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Andrew Aniamaka confirmed the incident, saying: “Three of the staff are been investigated and will be charged for negligence of duty.”