From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Controller of Correctional, Oyo State Command, Mr. Noel Ailewon, has said more than 300 inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Abolongo, Oyo, in Oyo State, that escaped during yesterday’s attacks have been recaptured.
He made the disclosure in an interview with journalists at the facility in Abolongo, on Saturday, saying profiling of the recaptured inmates and those that did not escape was ongoing.
According to him, the gunmen that attacked the facility stormed the place around 10p.m on Friday October 22, 2021,came in large numbers and they attacked the centre with sophisticated weapons.
Ailewon stated that he was informed about the incident around 10:05p.m., by the head of the custodial centre. He said there were varying degrees of injury, but only one causality was recorded. The casuality, he said, was inmate that attempted to escape
This reporter observed that observatory towers, residence of the head of custodial centre, and the iron door at the entrance of the main building of the centre were severely damaged. Some of them were riddled with bullets and explosives.
But journalists that went to Abolongo were not allowed to enter the main Custodial Centre. The spokesperson of the command, Olanrewaju Anjorin, said journalists were not allowed entry into the facility because the place is being reated as a crime scene.
Shortly after the interview with Ailewon, recaptured inmates were brought into the facility in one mini black maria and a big black maria as well.
Meanwhile, there was a report that one soldier and two Amotekun personnel were killed during a gun duel with the gunmen.
But the Director General of an Oyo State joint security outfit, codenamed Operation Burst, Col James Oladipo, said the soldiers was not dead as at 1:30p.m on Saturday, saying, however, that the soldiers was critically injured and he was not sure if he could survive the night injury.
But a group of soldiers that sat under a tree at the premises of the facility said among themselves that one of them was killed by the gunmen. A pick-up van, belonging to Operation Burst was sighted at Abolongo and it was riddled with bullets. Blood stain was seen in the vehicle.
But the Commandant of Amotekun Corps in Oyo State, Col Olayinka Olayanju (retd) could not be reached on his mobile phone as at the time of filing this report for confirmation on whether two personnel of the security outfit actually lost their lives during exchange of fire with the gunmen.