- Prison authority urged to secure facilities, nab other fleeing inmates
An herbalist, Jacob Alonge, who was sentenced to 21 years in prison for raping his daughter, Gift, at their home in Ososo village, Akoko-Edo, Benin, Edo State, but later escaped from the custodial centre has been rearrested after four years of jailbreak.
The convict escaped from the Nigeria Correctional Services centre in Edo State in October 2020 alongside other inmates.
However, The Point learnt that Alonge was rearrested on May 2, 2024 by the Nigeria Police Command in the state.
Recall that aside from raping his 17-year-old daughter repeatedly and impregnating her, Alonge procured abortion for her and shaved the hair in her private parts.
He also instructed her daughter not to sleep with any other man, as he turned her to a sex slave.
Gift had become pregnant a second time when the matter became public knowledge and he was arrested by the police and arraigned in court.
Pregnant 17-year-old Gift, however, died along with four others in an accident on the way to the court.
Among the dead were Gift’s uncle, two workers of a non-governmental organisation, BraveHeart Initiative, helping Gift with the case, and the cab driver.
Alonge, who had pleaded guilty to the counts against him and was about to be sentenced, changed his plea on the day his daughter and the others died.
The court, however, concluded his trial and sentenced him to five years on the first count of possession of fetish wrap of Gift’s pubic hair.
He got two years for raping and impregnating her and 14 years for repeated sexual assault.
The magistrate said the counts should run consecutively.
Barely a year in Benin prison, the Nigerian Correctional Service announced jailbreak in Benin and Oko prisons in Benin City by hoodlums.
It was gathered that the hoodlums, numbering over 100, broke open one of the cells and freed several inmates, including Alonge, in the process.
Several persons sustained gunshot injuries as an armed squad of prison officials engaged the suspected hoodlums in a gun duel.
Meanwhile, a non-governmental organization, BraveHeart Initiative for Youth & Women described the fugitive’s rearrest as a victory for justice and for the parents of Rhoda Braimoh and Promise Ezekiel, two of the NGO’s staff involved in the court prosecution who died in a mysterious accident alongside others.
The Executive Director of the organization, Priscilla Usiobaifo, charged prison authority to deploy more security to correctional facilities to prevent future jailbreak occurrence.
She said, “For four years, Mr. Alonge received tip offs and avoided rearrest in the protection of his community in Ososo. Ironically, the arrest today would have been impossible without the tipoff and collaboration of concerned men and women in his community where Alonge has been enjoying protection, according to the briefing from the Nigeria Police.
“The re-arrest confirms the maxim that the hands of the law are never too short to catch up with a criminal. We are encouraged by the determination and courage of the undercover police officers who work tirelessly to effect the final arrest.
“We call on the Nigeria Correctional Services to take adequate steps to prevent another escape by Alonge and to continue to prioritize the rearrest of several other inmates who escaped alongside Alonge during the 2020 jailbreak and who remained free from justice. All inmates and detainees who escaped during the jailbreak in 2020 alongside Alonge must be rearrested to restore public safety across communities in Edo State.
“BHI appreciates and congratulates the Edo State Commissioner of Police, his gallant officers and the local intelligence team who stood on the side of justice by exposing and fostering the rearrest of Alonge.
“We at BHI remain committed to exposing and tackling all forms of gender-based violence in Edo State. We count on the continued support of the Edo State Government, Edo State Police Command, Traditional and Religious leaders, Vigilante Groups, Youth Associations, Women Groups, Community Networks and the media.”
