Nigerian drug trafficking convict, Tony Obina, has reportedly been recaptured after escaping from the Kakata Central Prison in Margibi County, Liberia, during a jailbreak on Sunday.
Obina was among inmates who fled the correctional facility after the prison break, which was confirmed by Liberia’s Ministry of Justice on September 20, 2026. The ministry said the Joint Security had launched a search and recapture operation.
A video shared by West Trybe News Media showed Obina and another man being escorted back to the prison after they were reportedly found by local residents. In the footage, Obina was seen wearing only blue boxers as he was taken back to the correctional facility.
The recapture came as security agencies continued efforts to locate other inmates who escaped during the incident. The Justice Ministry said the Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation was reconciling prison records to determine the exact number and identities of those who fled.
The ministry said the identities of the escapees would be released after the verification exercise to assist security authorities and members of the public in locating those still at large.
It also urged residents to report information to the police or other security agencies rather than attempting to apprehend the escapees themselves.
Local reports have given varying accounts of the scale of the jailbreak. FrontPageAfrica reported that more than 100 inmates may have escaped, while another Liberian report put the number at more than 50. The Justice Ministry has not yet confirmed either figure, saying its verification process was still ongoing.
Reports from Liberia also indicate that some inmates escaped through sections of the prison perimeter and fled into surrounding communities. Security personnel, including members of the Armed Forces of Liberia, were subsequently involved in the search for the escapees.
Obina’s escape came shortly after his conviction by a 12-member jury at the 13th Judicial Circuit Court in Margibi County in a major drug-trafficking case. He was convicted alongside two Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency officers, Joe Logan and Lovette Flowers.
The case reportedly involved drugs valued at about US$181,008 and more than L$63.2 million. Reports on the case said prosecutors linked the defendants to a drug-trafficking operation, while the defence challenged aspects of the evidence presented during the trial.
The jailbreak has also renewed attention on security arrangements at Kakata Central Prison. A report by The Liberian Investigator alleged that the facility had more than 200 inmates but only one correctional officer was on duty when the latest escape occurred. The Justice Ministry has not independently confirmed those staffing details.
For now, Obina has been returned to custody while the wider search for escapees continues. Liberian authorities are expected to provide further details as the prison-record verification and security operation progress.
