The #EndSARS protest may have been hijacked by hoodlums to attack the Oko Medium Security Centre of Benin, Edo State Correctional Centre and freed inmates.
The surging hoodlums overpowered the five armed guards in the facility and had a free day looting shops along roadsides leading to the prison.
They also reportedly carted away valuables from offices of prison officials.
It was gathered that immediately after the attack in Benin Prison, security was alerted in Oko but calls to the Nigerian Army and the Police for reinforcement were not heeded hence the ease with which the hoodlums overpowered the prison guards.
The facility has the capacity to accommodate 1300 inmates.
A prison source said, “They came in their thousands and their mission was to free inmates. They have been communicating with the inmates because even before they broke into the facility, the inmates were already rioting inside the place.”
Before the attack on Oko Correctional Centre, the suspected hoodlums had ransacked Oba Market police station, attacked its armoury and went away with their guns and some uniforms they found in the station.
While that was going, suspected hoodlums attacked Igbekun police station and set it ablaze.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Government has imposed a 24-hour curfew across the state “till further notice.”
“The curfew is to take effect from 4pm, October 19, 2020.
“This decision has become necessary because of the very disturbing incidents of vandalism and attacks on private individuals and institutions by hoodlums in the guise of #ENDSARS protesters.
“By the directive, schools and businesses are to shut down activities accordingly. Those who cannot move safely are to stay put between now and 4pm till calmness is restored,” the government said in a statement.
