Man jailed 3 years for escaping from prison custody in Ebonyi

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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 the 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 for stealing before he escaped. The defendant faced a one-count charge of escaping from prison custody.

He pleaded guilty.

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

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

“Unfortunately for him, the prison warders recognized the defendant as the same person who had escaped from their custody,” Alumona said.

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, sentenced the defendant to three years in prison.