Nigeria: 575 prisoners escape after gunmen attack prison; no arrests till now

In another blow to the Nigerian authority, gunmen have attacked a prison and freed around 575 prisoners on Friday. According to TheCable, this was the third jailbreak in Africa’s most populous country, where a mass prison escape was reported within a year, raising serious questions about how safe detention facilities are in the West African nation. Notably, the incident reported from southwest Nigeria came at a time when the authorities were already struggling to stem rising violence in the country. The reports claimed that several similar incidents were reported in the country in which security forces were attacked violently by a handful of gunmen. 

Meanwhile, while speaking to a news agency, the Associated Press (AP), spokesman of the Oyo correctional centre in Oyo state, Olanrewaju Anjorin said that the gunmen attacked the facility late Friday. Further, the spokesman said an investigation into the incident would further reveal the extent of the damage. When the news agency contacted the Francis Enobore of the Nigerian Prisons Service, he confirmed the incident and added he would comment after the completion of the investigation. 

Third jailbreak in Nigeria this year

Citing Lagos-based online newspaper TheCable, AP said that jailbreaks in Nigeria have become common news for the media houses. The report said at least 4,307 inmates had escaped from prisons since 2017, of which only a few were re-captured by the security forces. 

"In 2021 alone, more than 2,000 inmates were freed in two earlier jailbreaks: on Sept. 13 when 240 inmates were freed after gunmen attacked a detention facility in north-central Kogi state with explosives and on April 5 when at least 1,800 were freed in the southeast Imo state when another facility was also blown up," said the media report. 

Those who have escaped in such attacks are yet to be convicted: Data

Further, the report said that the incidents were not interlinked with each other, however, added the attacks were carried out in a similar manner with the use of explosives. It said that the jail authorities managed to capture some of its prisoners from the neighbouring country, however, a number of prisoners are still 'enjoying the independence'.

According to government data, a good number of those who have escaped in such attacks are yet to be convicted and still awaiting trial. The data also claimed Nigerian prisons hold 70,000 inmates but only about 20,000, or 27%, have been convicted.

(With inputs from AP)

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