Nsukka prison workers are afraid of losing their jobs.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the panic is as a result of Tuesday’s jailbreak in the prison.

No fewer than 25 inmates escaped by jumping the perimeter fence of the medium security prison after breaking the walls of their cells.

About six of the escaped inmates have been re-arrested and the police are collaborating with men of the Nigeria Prison Service and other security agencies to apprehend those still at large.

However, findings by our correspondent on Friday revealed that the fear of being sacked had gripped workers, particularly warders and other senior officials.

A source in the prison, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that many workers in the prison had already been queried over the incident.

The query is in line with full scale investigations into the incident, the source added.

Prison staff found to have collaborated with the escaped inmates would be dismissed, and also prosecuted, our correspondent learnt.

The source said there are suspicions that some warders may have assisted the fleeing inmates.

Questions were raised over failure to discover that the inmates were breaking their cells, despite constant surveillance and patrol by warders and other prison security personnel, the source revealed.

The source noted that it must have taken the inmates a number of days to successfully break the walls of the cells.

“Several workers have been queried over the jail-break and right now many of them are afraid that their jobs are on the line because anyone found to have a hand in the incident would be dismissed and prosecuted.

“It is a shocking development – the inmates broke the walls of their cells before jumping the perimeter fence and while all these were going on some concerned personnel were supposed to be patrolling and monitoring the prison.

“As we speak now an investigation is going on, questions are being asked concerning the inability of the prison security to get wind of the breaking of the walls in the cells – there must have been noise, it couldn’t have been done in silence.

“Besides, what implements did the inmates use to break the walls? Who assisted with such implements?

“These are issues that are being investigated,” the source said.

Our correspondent equally gathered that Enugu residents, particularly those living in the Nsukka area, have been apprehensive as a result of the jail-break.

There are fears that hardened criminals may have escaped from the prison.

Also, there are concerns that the incident could lead to an upsurge in criminal activities in Enugu State.

But the police assured the residents that the fleeing inmates would be re-arrested.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Police Command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, said the police and other security agencies had launched a manhunt for the escaped inmates.

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