13 inmates escape in Kuajok prison break

JUBA – Authorities in South Sudan’s Warrap State said Friday that at least thirteen (13) prisoners escaped in an overnight prison break at Kuajok main prison, and that manhunt for the fugitives was ongoing.

According to Warrap State Acting Director of Prisons Service Major-General Cristiano Garang, the prisoners escaped after digging a tunnel from inside their cell to the outside prison and then escaped at dawn on Friday.

“They (prisoners) are convicted with minor cases like theft and adultery, and those convicted with death penalty didn’t escape,” Gen. Cristiano said, according to Radio Tamazuj.

The senior police officer further revealed that a manhunt for the prisoners who he said are largely convicted of light crimes was ongoing.

For his part, Brigadier Akuechbeny Machol, director of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), confirmed the prison escape and said the incident occurred after a man accused of adultery was detained and then mobilized others for the prison break.

“It was on Thursday that we heard demonstrations in the prison because a man was fined and asked to pay seven cows for adultery and fines and should be kept in prison until he finishes the payment and fines, but he started resisting this from the court, and when he was brought to prison, he joined other inmates and broke the prison from behind, they are 13 in number,” he said

The CID officer further accused police officers in the prison of aiding the escape.

“I went with our police to draw the scene and compile a report, and after that, I left. The report was taken by prison officers from my CID personnel, which is a big issue,” he said.

“Because we don’t want problems, I advised police personnel to come and leave them. I am in suspicion that prison officers were the ones who gave hoe to prisoners to dig the wall,” he added.