Gunmen reportedly attacked Kabba Prisons in Kogi State late Sunday night, killing a soldier and policeman manning security at the facility. The Federal Government yesterday enlisted the help of the International Police Organisation, INTERPOL in tracking the fleeing inmates.
The gunmen also set free no fewer than 240 prisoners from the prisons in the attack in which two prisons’ personnel were also declared missing.
Government’s appeal to INTERPOL was to assist in tracking and arresting prisoners set free, should they flee beyond Nigerian shores.
The gunmen were said to have first attacked the military men who mounted a road-block some few meters away from the prisons, killed one of the soldiers, while another soldier was badly injured.
The soldiers were said to have mounted a routine check-point about 50 metres before the prison, situated along Lokoja-Kabba highway when the hoodlums came and rained bullets on them before invading the prison facility.
It was gathered that the gunmen also sprayed bullets on an uncompleted building where the soldiers normally hibernate before they broke into the prisons and released all the inmates
Also, some of the correctional officers on guard were injured.
However, three of the escaped prisoners were reportedly re-arrested at about 8.00 am beside Kudon Hotel, Kabba, when they made effort to board a vehicle to escape to Ilorin, yesterday.
Confirming the incident, Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 8, Ayuba Edeh, said the state Commissioner of Police and other heads of security agencies in the state had swung into action to do an assessment of the cause of the attack.
The state government said investigations were ongoing to unravel those behind the early Monday morning attack. The state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, said: “We can confirm that some gunmen attacked the Kabba Custodial Centre but investigations are still on to clearly ascertain the number of inmates that escaped from the centre. We also lost two security operatives.
That is the number we have at the moment.“The State Security Adviser, Commander Jerry Omodara, retd, is currently at the centre with the Kogi State Commissioner of Police and the Commander, Army Records, Lokoja. Security agencies have zeroed in to ensure those who escaped are re-arrested as well as trail masterminds of the attack.
“We have confidence in our security agencies to unmask the masterminds responsible for the attack and get them apprehended.
Our security network has led to the rearrest of majority of the inmates that escaped as some have also come back to the facility on their own.
“Security agencies, traditional rulers and local hunters are working in synergy to ensure normalcy. We urge Kogi citizens and citizens of neighbouring states to help volunteer information that will ensure the apprehension of the masterminds of the dastardly act.
“Our people should go about their normal businesses as security agencies are doing their best to ensure security of lives and property in the face of the unfortunate breach.”
Also confirming the attack, spokesman of the Nigerian Prisons Service, Francis Enobore, in a statement yesterday, said the incident took place at about 2345hrs on September 12, 2021.“The Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC) in Kabba, Kogi State has been attacked by yet-to-be identified gunmen and 240 inmates forcibly released.“The attackers in their numbers were said to have arrived at the Custodial Centre heavily armed and immediately engaged the armed guards in a fierce gun battle.“The Controller-General of Corrections, Haliru Nababa, has ordered a recapture procedure to be activated immediately and detailed investigation carried out, even as he personally leads a team to assess the situation.“He appeals to the general public to provide useful intelligence that will assist in recapturing the escapees to security operatives.“
