Security agencies in Kogi State have launched a joint manhunt following the confirmed escape of two convicted inmates from the Okene Medium Security Custodial Centre.
​The incident occurred on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at approximately 10:30 a.m., when the officer-in-charge of the facility alerted the Okene Divisional Police Headquarters. Reports indicate that the fleeing convicts, identified as Samson David (convicted of theft) and Salvation Moro (convicted of armed robbery), made their exit after scaling the rear perimeter wall of the custodial facility.
​Confirming the development in an official press release issued on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Kogi State Police Command, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, stated that police operatives are actively collaborating with the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and other security forces to secure the immediate rearrest of the fugitives.
​”The Command received an official report from the Correctional Centre and has commenced joint operations to ensure the prompt rearrest of the fleeing inmates,” ASP Afusat said. “Efforts to trace and apprehend the escapees remain ongoing.”
​Addressing the press in Lokoja, ASP Afusat clarified that the Tuesday announcement was her first and only official statement regarding the jailbreak, urging members of the public and media outlets to disregard unverified claims circulating on social media.
​Meanwhile, Osuji, speaking on behalf of the Nigerian Correctional Service, confirmed that the Controller-General of Corrections has ordered a full-scale investigation into the circumstances surrounding the escape.
​Security authorities have circulated photographs of the two escapees across regional checkpoints and requested members of the public to provide any relevant information that could lead to their recapture.
