Two hundred and forty inmates of the Medium Prison (Medium Security Custodial Centre) in Kabba in Kogi State in north central Nigeria escaped in the early hours of Monday when some unknown gunmen attacked the prison.
The spokesman for the Nigerian Correctional Service (Prison Service), Mr. Francis Enobore, said in a statement on Monday that the attack took place at about midnight on Sunday.
Enobore explained that the heavily armed attackers, who were many in numbers, arrived at the prison and engaged the guards in a fierce gun battle before the prisoners escaped.
He disclosed that the Comptroller–General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Mr. Haliru Nababa, has ordered a recapture procedure to be activated immediately and detailed investigations carried out on the attack.
The report by Channels Television, a private television station, quoted the statement as saying Mr. Nababa has proceeded to the facility to inspect the damages at the prison and that he also appealed to the general public to furnish security operatives with useful intelligence that will assist in recapturing the prisoners.
The Kabba prison was established in 2008 with a capacity for 200 inmates. Similar attacks had been carried out in two prisons Imo and Edo states and more than 1840 inmates escaped.
GIK/APA