Armed men on Thursday ambushed officials of Nigerian Correctional Service within the vicinity of Plateau State High Court in Barkin Ladi local government area of the State and freed suspects taken for arraignment in the court.

The suspects who were said to be 14 in number with alleged crimes ranging from rape, kidnapping to murder were conveyed from Jos, the capital city, to Barkin Ladi but the Service’s convoy was waylaid by the gunmen and six of the suspects escaped.

According to reports, the gunmen laid in wait near the court premises and opened fire on the convoy. The officials did not return fire and the targeted suspects were freed by their alleged gang members.

State Commissioner of Police, Mr Edward Egbuka visited the scene of the incident even as the State Commandant of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Mr Musa, briefed him, stating that the Court did not notify him of a change in hearing date as it was gathered the suspects were not supposed to be in court at the time of the incident.

A court source said, “We had four cases today with only one criminal, and the suspect was not among those brought from the Correctional Centre. The court since resumption from lockdown has hardly heard five cases a day, let alone ten, to have warranted movement of those suspects today.”

However, four out of the six fleeing suspects have been re-arrested while two are still at large and two motorcycles said to be abandoned by the gang which ambushed the convoy have also been recovered.

Vanguard