Prison Services in the Abyei Area revealed on Wednesday that six inmates escaped in two separate incidents, with the latest prison break occurring less than a week ago.
Major General Malou Majgid told Radio Tamazuj that six inmates made a daring escape from the prison last Friday, facilitated by poor housing infrastructure, which compromised the performance of the prison security guards on duty.
“The recent escape happened on Friday night during a severe storm. It rained heavily, and two prisoners jumped over the chained fence. This prison has poor conditions; some prisoners sleep on the veranda while others with capital crimes, like murder and rape, sleep inside,” he explained.
Major Gen. Majgid added, “In the last week of May, two female inmates accused of murder escaped. One woman had killed another woman, and the other had murdered her husband. These women escaped when a female prison officer took them to the toilet. Female inmates are attended to by female officers, and they used this opportunity to flee.”
Majgid revealed that the relatives of a woman who killed her husband requested the prison administration to allow her infant to remain with her in prison. The other woman, who killed another woman, was awaiting blood compensation of 31 cows according to local laws.
He further added details, “They removed the chain-link fence, which was easy to do because the facility is poorly constructed. The fence was made by an NGO and serves police, prison, security, and other organized forces.”
Gen. Majgid clarified that the two male inmates had committed different crimes: one was charged with murder, and the other with rape. He mentioned that security forces in Wau, Aweil, and Kuajok are searching for the escaped prisoners, and the officers on duty during the escapes have been arrested for their failures.