BREAKING: Panic in Kuje Prison as riot breaks out, shots fired
- Pandemonium has been recorded at Kuje Prison in the early hours of Monday, August 29
- Gunshots were reportedly fired in the course of the fracas
- Security operatives are trying to restore peace at the correctional facility
Sources have revealed that riot broke out in Kuje Prison on Monday morning, August 29, just as officials arrived at the facility for their routine checks.
A top prison official, who cannot be named because he is not authorized to speak on the matter, told newsmen that the crisis started at about 10.30am from one of the blocks and spread to other blocks within the facility.
He said a team of security operatives had been drafted to the facility to contain the uprising but could not tell whether any inmate had escaped.
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Another source said inmates had been locked up while heavily armed security operatives fire teargas towards inmates’ cells.
“There is heavy shooting now,” a source said. “The whole place is in confusion. All the inmates have been locked in their cells but the security operatives are shooting teargas into the cells,” the source said.
“We don’t know what happened but it seems there is serious trouble here. There are so many armed security operatives all over the place.”
Premium Times reports that the spokesperson of the Nigerian Prison Service, Francis Enobore, confirmed the incident when contacted.
“We have received report of a problem in Kuje Prision but give me a little time to get the facts on it as some of our men are already on ground to handle the situation,” he said.
“We are monitoring what is happening. I will revert to you as soon we get more detail from our men on the ground.”
There have been increasing cases of jailbreaks in recent times.
On July 30, not less than 13 inmates escaped from Koton Karfe prison in Kogi state.
Ten days later, no fewer than 15 inmates at the Federal Prisons in Nsukka, Enugu state, escaped in another jailbreak that reportedly took place late in the evening.
Also this August, about 14 inmates of the Abakaliki prison in Ebonyi state capital, were feared killed during a jailbreak bid under the cover of a prison riot.
The Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board (CDFIPB) has declared 3 senior prisons officers serving in Kuje Medium Security prison and 3 other senior officers serving in Koton Karfe prison dismissed.
The decision was taken during an emergency meeting on Thursday, August 11, 2016. They were found guilty of complicity in the escape of prisoners from the mentioned prisons.
The announcement was made public by an official statement released by Francis Enobore, the spokesperson of the Nigerian prison service, on Monday. The dismissal letters dated August 12, 2016 were signed by the Secretary to the Board Alhaji A A Ibrahim.
Source: Legit.ng
