How gunmen attacked Kabba prison, ‘freed 240 inmates’

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has said, at least, 240 inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC) in Kabba, Kogi State, following an invasion by yet to be identified gunmen that killed four soldiers and injured others.

The spokesman of NCoS, Mr Francis Enobore, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday, said the attack took place at about midnight on Sunday.

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According to him, the attackers in their numbers arrived at the custodial centre heavily armed and immediately engaged the guards in a fierce gun duel.

Mr Enobore further disclosed that the Comptroller–General, Haliru Nababa, had ordered a recapture procedure to be activated immediately and detailed investigation carried out even as he had led a team to assess the situation.

The Comptroller-General also appealed to the general public to furnish security operatives with useful intelligence that will assist in recapturing the fleeing escapees.

Kabba MSCC was established in 2008 with a capacity of 200.

As of the time of the invasion, 294 inmates were in custody out of which 224 were pre-trial detainees and 70 convicted inmates.

The latest jailbreak comes a few months after gunmen attacked the Nigerian Correctional Services and the police headquarters in Imo State, freeing 1,844 inmates, after which the hoodlums set the facilities ablaze.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by the state commissioner for information and communication, Kingsley Fanwo, has appealed to security operatives, traditional rulers and local hunters to work in synergy to track down the hoodlums responsible for the act.