30 Gunmen free 175 prisoners in Akure jailbreak

There was pandemonium in the early hours of Sunday when gunmen, numbering about 30, invaded the Olokuta Medium Security Prisons in Akure, Ondo State capital, and set about 175 inmates free.




• Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko (left) with Comptroller of Prison in the state, Olatunde Olayiwola, during Mimiko’s visit to the Olokuta Medium Security Prison, in Akure ... on Sunday.(L), An escape hole in the wall of the prison. Photo: SaharaReporters.

The bandits, according to eyewitnesses, arrived at the prison premises, which is less than one kilometre away from the headquarters of the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, also known as Owena Barracks, around 12. 05am, shooting indiscriminately.

The armed men were said to have gained entry into the prison by using dynamite to blow off a section of the walls, after a futile attempt to enter through the main entrance.

A source said one of the warders was hit by the attackers’ bullets, was ordered to release the keys to the cells, and was also forced to set the inmates free.

Our correspondent observed on Sunday afternoon that the walls of the prisons were riddled with bullets, while all the street lights, leading to the prison, were also destroyed.

The state Comptroller of Prisons, Mr. Tunde Olayiwola, who lamented the development, described the attack as unusual.

He expressed the hope that the prisons authority would soon bring the culprits to book.

Olayiwola said, “The incident happened around 12. 05am. The rumour that the attack was masterminded by the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram, is not true.

“We cannot specifically identify  those behind the attack, but the attack is unusual. One of our officers was injured during the attack and he is in the hospital right now receiving treatment. However, I am assuring you that those behind the attack will be brought to book.

“The attack is the first of its kind in the history of the prison because the prison has not experienced such an attack since its establishment.”

Meanwhile, our correspondent gathered on Sunday that some of the prisoners, who were set free by the hoodlums, had already been rearrested by security agents in the state.

It was  learnt that  some of the prisoners were picked by the security agents at some of the brothels within the town and neighboring villages near the prison, where some of them were identified and rearrested.

The situation had been brought under control when our correspondent visited the scene on Sunday, as a detachment of security agents had been stationed at the prison.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Patrick Dokumor, and some government functionaries, led by the Attorney-General of the state and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, visited the prison.

The Public Relations Officer of the state police Command, Mr. Wole Ogodo, confirmed the attack, adding that the  command had contacted the prison authorities on the issue.

Ogodo said, “The information gathered on the jailbreak is still sketchy. The incident has nothing to do with terrorism, and we call on the people of the state to go about their  normal duties.

“The police will continue to protect lives and properties of the people of the state. All the security agencies within the state are working to track the criminals and all the hoodlums will be brought to book.”

Punch

Police authori-ties in Ondo State, yesterday, said 54 of the 175 prisoners that escaped in a jail-break, Sunday, have been re-arrested and returned to the prison custody.

This is coming as it condemned reports of deaths in the jail break as unethical.

A statement by the image maker of the command, Wole Ogodo, in Akure, yesterday, said the fleeing prisoners were picked up in neighbouring villages and towns.

Ogodo declined to give further information on the arrest of the prisoners but Vanguard gathered from reliable sources that immediately they were set free by the bandits that bombed the prison cells they headed for brothels where many of them were picked up.

It was gathered that following tip-off by some village heads in nearby villages and towns, the police swooped on the escapees.

Ogodo who confirmed that some of the prisoners were re-arrested in brothels and neighbouring towns of Owo, Ondo, Idanre and Akure the state capital,  added that they had been returned to the Olokuta prison yard.

Investigation revealed that those that were picked up in brothels were more than 20 in number..

Information gathered was that the proprietors of the brothels on seeing the swam of customers that invaded the call girls immediately notified the police and they were subsequently arrested.

It was learnt that the tattered dresses of the prisoners gave them out when they visited the brothels.
No death was recorded —Police

Meantime, Ogodo in the statement in Akure clarifying the issue of death reported by some media outfits said: “The publication is complete misrepresentation of the facts of the incident as no such dead was recorded during the jail-break because the attack on the prison was aimed at liberating some members of their gang who were in custody.

“No death was recorded either on the side of the security agents, inmate or any traveller.

“Members of the press are hereby advised to crosscheck their information before publication.”

Vanguard