114 of 266 inmates recaptured by Nigerian forces after mass jailbreak
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Nigerian forces have captured 114 of 266 inmates, who escaped from prison recently. In an attack, heavily armed gunmen had raided the medium-security jail at Kabba. They had blown up the perimeter fence. A soldier and a police officer were also killed. 28 out of the 294 inmates did not escape
In an attempt to recapture the 266 inmates, who escaped a Nigerian prison on Sunday, the prison service said on Tuesday that it has nabbed a total of 114 inmates.
Blowing up the perimeter fence and freeing almost everyone, heavily armed gunmen had raided the medium-security jail at Kabba in south-central Nigeria late on Sunday. In the incident, a soldier and a police officer were also killed, said authorities.
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In what was the second major jailbreak in Nigeria this year, the attackers fought a gun battle with guards.
A spokesman said, “Following the attack … and the swift intervention of the controller general of corrections … a total of 114 escapees have been recaptured.”
For some years, Nigeria has been suffering several security issues across its vast territory, which include an Islamic insurgency in the northeast, a spate of mass abductions from schools in the northwest and armed robberies by criminal gangs.
At Kabba, 28 out of the 294 inmates did not escape, the interior ministry said. It meant 266 had got away. The prison service had earlier put the number of fugitives at 240.
Extra armed guards have been deployed to beef up security at the prison, and urged the remaining escapees to turn in themselves within the next 24 hours, said the spokesman.
(With inputs from agencies)
