Contrary to media reports suggesting that at least 100 inmates escaped the Kakata Central Prison in Margibi County, the Ministry of Justice maintains that the total number of inmates who broke jail remain at 47. It was reported that 100 criminals and pre-trial detainees broke jail on Sunday, September 8, 2024 at the Kakata Central Prison, a report the Justice Ministry has dismissed.
Speaking Tuesday, September 10, 2024 at the MICAT regular press briefing, Abigail Gbassagee, Media Specialist of the Ministry of Justice, said correction officers received information that a prison block that contained 11 persons had a cell phone with them, which is against the laws.
She said the officers decided to put the 11 persons outside to conduct a search and a cellphone (Sicto) with two SIM cards were found. The officers then instructed the prisoners to move into another cell, but inmates in the particular cell which contained 36 men, joined forces with the 11 bringing the number to 47, at which time they overpowered the 13 officers and escaped the facility.
Gbassagee said the officers quickly called backup but the prisoners were already on the run. However, state security managed to arrest two persons immediately, while three others were arrested during the late hours of September 9.
She said the Ministry of Justice is working with the Joint Security to arrest the remaining 42 persons, and their names and pictures will be published on the ministry’s official page and other media outlets.
Of the 47 inmates, she said 4 had already gone through court trials and were sentenced, while the rest were pretrial detainees; their ages range from 18-21, 22-25, 26-35 and 36-53 years old.
She indicated that they have taken several other measures through the Monrovia Central Prison and have deployed additional 13 officers including investigators to help officers in the county.
According to her, they have positioned correction officers from the Kakata Central Prison at different checkpoints as well as major areas in the county to gather intelligence to assist with the investigation. Gbassagee has called on the escaped inmates to voluntarily return to prison because no matter how far they run they will surely be caught.
