Nigeria Prison

Gunmen blast into Nigerian jail and free 1,800 inmates

Tension gripped a town in southeast Nigeria on Tuesday, a day after gunmen stormed their way into prison, freed over 1,800 inmates and then looted a police station.

The town of Owerri was not aggressive but the mood was apprehensive, as residents said they are concerned about violence from escapees or being caught in an attack by the security forces.

Gunmen using explosives and rockets blasted their way into Owerri prison at dawn on Monday, engaging guards in a gun battle and breaking out inmates, according to the Nigerian Correctional Service said.

About 1,844 inmates were freed.

Local media said the state police’s main office in the town had been raided as well by the attackers, who looted its armory and torched dozens of automobiles.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for this attack, although President Muhammadu Buhari called the attack an “act of terrorism” carried out by “anarchists” and prompted security forces to capture the assailants and the escaped detainees.


Posted

in

by

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *