Twelve inmates have escaped in a jail break in the early hours of Monday in Kogi State.

Kogi State Government confirmed this in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Femi Fanwo.

He commended the swift response of security agencies to the jailbreak at the Federal Correctional Center in Kotonkarfe, where 12 inmates escaped.

Fanwo described the incident as “unfortunate” and assured citizens that the State government is taking decisive steps to prevent a recurrence.

According to him, the Kogi State government vowed to work with security agencies to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“The theory that the inmates escaped through the tower without causing any structural damage raises serious concerns.

“This calls for a thorough investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the escape, arrest the fleeing inmates, and identify possible saboteurs within the system,” Fanwo said.

Fanwo added that Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has directed the State Security Adviser to collaborate with the Federal Correctional Center and other security agencies to ensure such security breaches do not happen again.

The state government has also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting federal security agencies through logistics and other necessary resources to enhance their operational effectiveness.

While investigations continue, the government has assured residents that the situation is under control.

“There is no cause for panic. We encourage citizens to go about their daily activities as normal, knowing that the security of lives and property remains our top priority,” he added.

There is growing tension in Obianime-Ama community in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State following the discovery of a ruptured pipeline leaking an unidentified petroleum product in broad daylight.

Channels Television reports that the incident, which occurred on Sunday, has raised concerns about potential environmental hazards and safety risks in the area.

The television quoted a source as saying that the affected pipeline belongs to the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL.

According to the TV station, eyewitnesses reported that the leakage began around 2:30 pm near a location opposite the PPMC facility in Okrika LGA.

The report said that the residents are making efforts to contain the spill but the situation has remained unresolved, prompting residents to cordon off the area and restrict vehicular and motorcycle movement as a precautionary measure.

Pictures made available to Channels Television revealed the extent of the leakage, with residents expressing frustration over the lack of immediate response from the pipeline’s operators.

While some speculated that the rupture might have been caused by vandalism, others dismissed the possibility, citing the presence of security personnel guarding the facility nightly.

One resident, who chose to remain anonymous, told Channels, “It can’t be vandalism. People guard this place every night, so that kind of thing is impossible. The pipeline is old and needs to be replaced.”

It said that efforts were made to reach the Chairman of the Obianime-Ama Community Development Committee and the management of PPMC for comments but they were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEAC-Nigeria, issued a press release on Sunday, confirming the incident and calling for urgent action.

According to the statement signed by its Executive Director, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, the leakage and subsequent explosion occurred on the PPMC pipeline right of way in Okrika.

The incident was reportedly linked to ongoing maintenance work by contractors following an earlier incident on Thursday, March 20, 2025.

YEAC-Nigeria’s youth volunteers, under the One Million Youth Volunteers Network of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters in the Niger Delta, documented the incident with video evidence showing flames erupting from the pipeline.

The inferno was eventually extinguished later the same day.

Respite is yet to return to Rivers State as another explosion reportedly struck the Soku oil facility in the Akuku-Toru Local Government Area on Sunday, days after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state.