Criminal groups have once again shown their power in Nigeria. In the southwest of the country, 575 inmates of the Oyo state prison, attacked Friday evening by heavily armed men, are on the run, the prison administration spokesman said on Saturday.
“The medium security detention center in Oyo, in Oyo State, was attacked by unidentified armed men at around 9:30 pm,” Olanrewaju Anjorin said. “The attackers arrived at the center heavily armed and after a fierce clash with the guards, they managed to enter the courtyard using dynamite to blow up the wall.”
Recurring attacks
All prisoners in pre-trial detention were released, that is 837, but the convicts ‘quarters and the detainees’ quarters were not affected. However “267 of the escapees were found, leaving 575 people still at large,” added the spokesperson. In his statement, he does not specify whether people were injured or killed during this attack.
Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, faces severe insecurity and large swathes of its territory are affected by the activities of criminal groups. On September 13, a prison was attacked in the center of the country, in Kogi State, where 240 detainees were forcibly released. In April, another prison was attacked, this time in the separatist-ridden southeast of the country, and more than 1,800 inmates escaped.