Man jailed 3 years for escaping from prison custody in Ebonyi

An Abakaliki Magistrates’ Court in Ebonyi has sentenced a 30-year-old man, Chekube Odom, to three years in prison for escaping from lawful custody of the Nigeria Correctional Centre in the state.

Odom, whose address was not known, had two years left to complete his initial sentence on stealing before he ran away.

The defendant is facing a count charge bothering on escape from prison custody.

He pleaded guilty.

Earlier, the police prosecutor, Insp Sabastine Alumona, on Tuesday, told the court that Odom jumped the prison on June 27, 2024 when he was brought out for a clean-up.

“How he was recaptured was that he committed another offences of burglary and stealing, and he was arrested and taken to correctional centre.

“Unfortunate to him, the prison warders recognised the defendant as the same person that had run away from their custody.

According to the prosecutor, the offence of escaping from prison is punishable under section 135 of the criminal code Cap 33 vol. 1 of Ebonyi state of Nigeria 2009.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Ezinne Uguru, in her ruling, jailed defendant for three years.