Over 170 inmates were set free
today during a brazen attack on
the Olokuta medium security
prison in Akure by armed
gunmen who set off explosives
and broke in shooting sporadically into the air. The incident happened in the
early hours of today. At least
four persons were injured in the
gun battle, but nobody was
reported to have been killed
Sources at the prison revealed that the bandits were very
clear about their mission. "They came and were calling
the names of people they want
to set free,” one of them said.
“There is this particular name
from Edo state that they were
calling simultaneously. I think he is a prominent criminal in the
prison. The name is from the
Benin area". Speaking to reporters shortly
after the incident, the
Comptroller of Prisons in the
state, Tunde Olayiwola, said
some of the inmates who
escaped during the jail break have been re-arrested. He
confirmed that one officer was
seriously injured, and was
rushed to the hospital for
treatment. He did not disclose
the officer’s name. Olayiwola said some of his men
were on the trail of the
escapees, saying that those
who were caught were lured
through a mobile-talking device
as signals were sent out immediately to the police. Eyitayo Jegede, the Ondo State
Attorney General and
Commissioner for Justice after
his visit to the scene described
it as pathetic and said the state
government would summon the top officials of the prison. “With what we are seeing here,
the state government will look
into the incidence and if need
be, we will summon all the
security chiefs and top prison
officers’’. Also speaking after his visit, the
commissioner for police, Patrick
Dukumor, described the incident
as ‘unfortunate’ and promised
that the perpetrator will be
brought to book. “I can assure you that the
perpetrator of this incidence
will be brought to book and any
culprit found behind this will be
dealt with severally,” he said. The Commissioner has already
deployed a large detachment of
men and two armored personnel
carriers to the prison to ensure
maximum security in the area. The police have also dispelled
rumours that the attack on the
prison was carried out by Boko
Haram insurgents. Police spokesperson, Wole
Ogodo, said that although the
information at his disposal was
sketchy at press time, the
situation has been brought
under control, and that the heads of security agencies in
the state would soon meet and
brainstorm on how to
apprehend the sponsors as well
as arrest all those who
escaped.

Source: saharareporters.com/news-page/akure-prison-break-170-inmates-set-free