How gunmen freed 2000 inmates from Owerri prisons

From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri

Not less than 2000 inmates of Nigeria Correctional service Imo state command were released following the attack by gunmen in the early hours of Easter Monday who razed down parts of the buildings of the service.

This is even as the Imo state police command headquarters which shares a fence was spared as the armoury of the the command’s State Criminal Investigation department was looted by the gunmen.

Our correspondent reliably gathered from police sources that the gunmen who numbered over 500 had invaded the Nigeria correctional service, Imo state command and freed not less than 2000 inmates and thereafter set some of the buildings ablaze including the administration blocks of the command .

One of the officials of the Nigeria correctional service who confided in our correspondent said that the attacked which began about 1 AM of Easter Monday threw the officials who were on night duty off balance and that even the Army personnel who were usually at the front of the prisons also ran way as a result of the barrage of gun fire.

He further disclosed that most of the officers of the prisons took the next available exit to escape the unceasing firing the gunmen who invaded the premises.

” The attackers were prepared because their invasion of the prison took us by surprise and even the army officers have remained at the entrance of the prisons since the ENDSARS protest ran away because of the barrage of the gun fire. Infact majority of the officers on night duty escaped from the next available exit. The gunmen went from cell to cell and broke it open for the inmates to escape. ”

Similarly, the attackers also razed the Imo State Police Command headquarters situated in Owerri and burnt almost all the vehicles parked at the command headquarters.

The gunmen also freed the suspects in in all the cells at the State Criminal Investigation Department of the command.

It was further learnt that the armoury of the department of State Criminal investigation was looted by the gunmen.

SP Orlando Ikeokwu, spokesman of Imo state police command who confirmed the incident , however, assured the people of the state that the security agencies were on top of the matter.