Oyo Prison Break: Two persons Killed As Manhunt Begins For 575 Inmates

At least two persons  have been confirmed dead after an attack on the Medium Security Custodial Centre of the Nigerian Correctional Services, Abolongo, Oyo town, Oyo State.

The deceased persons include an operative of Oyo State Security Network (Amotekun Corps) and an inmate who was trying to seize the opportunity of the attack on the center to escape.

Another  military officer attached to the Oyo State joint security patrol team (Operation Burst) and another Amotekun Corps member were said to be critically injured in the attack.

No fewer than 847 inmates of the facility were reckoned to have escaped during the attack and  575 of the inmates have been confirmed to be at large.

The Controller of Corrections Oyo State Command, Noel Ailewon, in a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Olanrewaju Anjorin, said 262 of the inmates had been recaptured.

He said, “The invaders were said to have arrived at the center heavily armed and after a fierce encounter with officers on guard, gained entrance into the yard using dynamite to blast the wall.

 “While all the awaiting trial detainees were forced out of custody, the cells housing the convicts and the female inmates were not vandalized. A total of 262 of the escapees have been recaptured leaving 575 still at large.”

Governor of Oyo state HE, Seyi Makinde,

The state Governor, Seyi Makinde, in a live broadcast on Saturday commiserated with the families of the two slain security agents called for calm among residents, urging them to be on the alert.

Makinde said security agencies in the state had been put on red alert and directed to deploy personnel to critical national assets within the state and monitor all entrance and exit points across the state.

Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola,
photo credit: Rauf Aregbesola

He said, “I am addressing you today to update you about recent happenings affecting the security of our state. Last night (Friday), security operatives responded to a distress call about a jailbreak in the Abolongo Correctional Centre, Oyo town. The correctional facility had been attacked with explosives, and some inmates were set free.

“Aside from the two lives lost, we had several operatives injured. I must mention that one of our Amotekun female volunteers, Shukurat Omoba, is presently in a critical condition. I have visited her at the hospital, and we are deploying all state resources to ensure that she survives this.”

Ademola Adejuwon

Written by BoomRadioNG