Published by Agence France-Presse on 5th April 2021
FILE – Prisoners’ fingers are seen through a window after a riot by inmates in Lagos, Nigeria, Sept. 20, 2005. Correctional authorities said May 5, 2021, that an attack on Owerri prison in Imo state allowed 1,800 prisoners to escape.
On Monday 5th April 2021, a heavily armed group stormed Owerri prison in Imo state, Nigeria. The national corrections authority has confirmed that the armed group had arrived at Owerri prison on pick-up trucks and buses. The armed group engaged in a gun battle with the prison guards and freed prisoners. More than 1800 inmates escaped during this attack. The identity of the gunmen is currently unknown.
President Muhammed Buhari has called the attack ‘an act of terrorism’ and implored security forces to capture the gunmen and the inmates. The governor of a neighbouring state, Abia, has imposed a night curfew on two of its towns to protect residents. No group has claimed responsibility for this attack. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been accused of orchestrating this attack. However, IPOB spokesman, Emmanuel Powerful, has denied any involvement with the attack.
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