Edo governor had initially given the fleeing inmates until Friday, October 30 to return.
But in a statement on Friday by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, Obaseki extended the ultimatum by one week.
The governor’s aide disclosed that this was the outcome of a Security Meeting held with heads of security agencies in the state today.
“The extension of the ultimatum is as a result of the positive response from the prisoners, as a good number of them have since returned to the two correctional facilities. The new window is to allow more prisoners to return to the centres willingly,” the statement quoted Obaseki as saying.
Recall that hoodlums had hijacked the #EndSARS protests against police brutality to invade two correctional facilities in Benin City during the week, freeing about 2,000 prisoners in the process.
This led to the declaration of a 24-hour curfew by the state government to curb the break down of law and order.
But Obaseki on Thursday relaxed the 24-hour curfew by allowing movement from 7 am to 4 pm across the Edo State.