Officials arrest drug gang members in Ikoyi Prison

Officials of the Nigerian Prisons Service attached to the Ikoyi
Prison in Lagos have arrested members of a three-man drug syndicate
for attempting to sell marijuana to inmates of the prison, PUNCH
Report .

PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident, which happened around
8.30am on Sunday, involved 22-year-old Ikuomola Abolade, who was
arrested when he was trying to escape; an inmate, who is standing
trial for alleged robbery, Sodeeq Yunusa; and an unidentified
person, who is presently at large.

It was gathered that the suspects were arrested through a
10-year-old boy, who is part of the Intelligence and Monitoring
Committee comprising selected officials of the prison, their wives,
the drug unit and the police, which was set up to monitor the
activities of intruders in the prison facility.

Our correspondent learnt that it was the 10-year-old boy, who
saw the suspects throwing the packages into the prison premises and
alerted his parents, but before his father could alert his
colleagues, the suspects had boarded a tricycle.

It was learnt that the officials chased the suspects and caught
up with them at Obalende, but the unidentified person escaped.

The prison inmate, Yunusa, was caught on the Closed Circuit
Camera Television footage receiving the packages thrown into the
prison.

Abolade, according to a source, is presently in the custody of
the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport, pending completion of the investigation.

The Lagos State Controller of Prisons, Tunde Ladipo, who
confirmed the incident, said the prison authorities would ensure
that the suspects did not escape justice so as to serve as a
deterrent to others.