Media Wire

Gunmen free hundreds of inmates in Nigeria

Gunmen have stormed a prison in southwestern Nigeria, releasing more than 800 prisoners, according to an official source. At least 260 of the escapees have been rearrested.

More than 800 inmates escaped after unidentified heavily armed gunmen attacked a custodial center in southwest Nigeria’s Oyo state, the country’s correctional service confirmed on Saturday.

Olanrewaju Anjorin, spokesman for the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) in the Oyo state, said in a statement 837 inmates awaiting trial escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Abolongo area of the state following an attack by gunmen on the facility on Friday night.

“The invaders were said to have arrived the center heavily armed with sophisticated weapons and, after a fierce encounter with officers on guard, gained entrance into the yard using dynamite to blast the wall,” added Anjorin.

He stated the gunmen released the 837 detainees awaiting trial after entering the center, but the cells housing 64 convicts were not vandalized.

However, 262 of the escapees have been recaptured as of Saturday, leaving 575 still at large, noted Anjorin.

He announced a process of search and recapture has been launched and urged the locals to provide credible intelligence to aid security agencies in tracking down the fugitives.

There have been in recent months a series of gunmen attacks across Nigeria, including attacks on security facilities like police stations and custodial centers.

In early April, a group of gunmen attacked the police headquarters of the Imo state and the state’s correctional facility and freed over 1,800 inmates.

IFP Media Wire

Reports and views published in the Media Wire section have been retrieved from other news agencies and websites, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website. The IFP may change the headlines of the reports in a bid to make them compatible with its own style of covering Iran News, and does not make any changes to the content. The source and URL of all reports and news stories are mentioned at the bottom of each article.

Recent Posts

Police: 838 die in road accidents in Iran during Nowruz holidays

At least 838 people have been killed in road accidents across Iran from the beginning…

13 hours ago

Iranian MP: Iran will negotiating with US on an equal footing

The head of National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran's Parliament says Tehran will…

14 hours ago

Iran spox deplores instrumental use of rights mechanisms by Germany, UK Against Tehran

Spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Esmail Baqaei, expressed regret over the continued exploitation of human…

17 hours ago

Rabat Qoli Caravanserai in northeastern Iran: A timeless crossroads of culture, commerce

The Rabat Qoli Caravanserai, a centuries-old waystation in North Khorasan’s Jajrom County in Iran, stands…

19 hours ago

Iran raps UN human rights resolution, warns about Israel’s crimes against humanity

Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahraini, denounced the…

19 hours ago

Twin earthquakes rattle southern Iran, no major damage reported

A 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck near Shiraz, southern Iran, early Friday morning, according to the University…

19 hours ago