(UPDATED) Gunmen Attack Prison, Free Inmates
Unknown Gunmen reportedly attacked a Nigeria Federal Prison in Koton-Karfe, Kogi State on Sunday night and freed 144 of 145 inmates.
According to a resident who spoke to Daily Trust, the attack which occurred at about 10.pm was accompanied by heavy gunfire.
He said the heavy gunfire which left the town in panic, injured two persons and left one dead before a detachment of armed soldiers arrived the town hours later, but the assailants had already concluded their mission and fled the scene.
READ ALSO: 20 Prisoners Escape In Ogun Jailbreak
Koton-karfe which is a fishing community located on the Lokoja-Abuja road, close to the River Niger, is about 15 minutes drive to Lokoja and over 100 kilometers from Abuja.
Another resident revealed that there was town power outage during the operation and that most of the residents who were running generator quickly put it off following the sporadic gunshots, making the town go completely silent.
He said the artillery gun fires lasted for an hour, adding that some residents who came out to peep were shot at and quickly returned to their houses.
Meanwhile, Sahara Reporters said an escape attempt by prisoners is being heavily repelled by soldiers trying to restore order.
It would be recalled that in 2012, a similar jail break suspected to have been carried out by the Boko Haram members was reported at the same prison although the Federal Government denied it was carried out by the sect.
Reacting to the first jailbreak, Abba Moro, Minister of Interior who visited the prison after the attack insisted that it was hoodlums that invaded the prison and not Boko Haram.
READ ALSO: Oko Jailbreak UPDATE: "Situation Under Control"
However, it could not be confirmed who is responsible for the current attack although it is suspected it might have been carried out by the Boko Haram sect following their recent attacks in in the north eastern part of the country.
The state police command spokesman could not be reached for comment as at press time.
Meanwhile, new reports have emerged that nine of the 147 inmates that escaped on Sunday night from Koton-Karfe federal medium security prison have been rearrested.
The information was made known on Monday by Kogi State prison authorities which also revealed that the facility was believed to have been attacked by suspected Boko Haram members.
UPDATE: Kogi Governor Disgusted By State Of Prison
The State Controller of Prisons, Adams Omale had earlier today revealed that the attack was conducted by "external forces" between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Sunday.
He went on and said that 12 inmates have already been apprehended and another lost his life during the chaos.
Kogi State Governor Idris Wada during his Monday visit was told by the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Prisons Service, Aminu Suley to reform and expand the prison as it would prevent any similar incident from occurring in the future.
The Governor also assured his fellow citizens of their commitment to secure the safety of Kogi lives.
He then expressed shock at the condition of the prison, namely its lack of proper beds. He promised to provide better facilities for inmates.
Wada also asked that the Minister of Interior Abba Moro ensure new prison facilities under construction in the area were completed in promptly.
It would be recalled that at the end of Ramadan celebrations armed commando numbering about 15 attacked a jail in Edo State's city of Oko, freeing more than twenty detainees.
Source: Legit.ng
