Sixteen escapees shot dead
Mrs Darko, wife of Inspector Darko speaks, reveals secret on the demise of Maadwoa
SIXTEEN inmates have been shot dead while attempting to escape from a prison yesterday, Correctional Services (CS) commissioner Stephen Pokanis has confirmed.
“(Altogether) 24 prisoners escaped by cutting the fence at the back of the (West New Britain’s Lakiemata) prison’s high security compound, but were caught and 16 were shot at by CS,” he said.
“Seven are on the run. And one is in the hospital receiving treatment for his gunshot wounds. This break-out is the second”.
“The (first) one (was) in October 2022.”
He also confirmed with The National last night that one of the escapees was in critical condition at the Kimbe General Hospital. He said the 16 bodies were transported to the Kimbe General Hospital morgue while the search for the seven escapees was continuing.
Information received by The National yesterday revealed that some of the seven escapees on the run were injured during the shooting.
During last October’s break-out, 26 prisoners escaped after cutting the outer fence of the facility. Only two were recaptured while 24 are still on the run.
Meanwhile, Pokanis appealed to the public and families of the seven prisoners on the run to do the right thing and surrender them to the police.
“These seven belong to prison and they must bring them back,” he said.
“Once they are back in prison, they can complete their sentences and go back to their families.”
