Jail break attempt foiled in Ebonyi as inmates riot

Police in Ebonyi State on Thursday
morning foiled a jailbreak attempt at
the Abakiliki Prisons, where inmates
rioted for hours.
Security sources told PREMIUM TIMES
that at least two people died in the
fracas.
One source said two prison officials
were killed by the inmates.
Police have cordoned off all roads
leading to the facility.
Gunshots could be heard intermittently
as police battle to recover a firearm
allegedly seized from one of the prison
officials, a witness said.
It was not immediately clear why the
inmates revolted.
A security source said inmates made
attempts at escaping after the riot
started, and had already broken
through a wall when anti-riot
policemen arrived and tear gassed
them into submission.
The prison is located beside the police
headquarters, a proximity that enabled
a rapid police police response.
The military commander in the area, and state police
commissioner have visited the area and were
working to restore normalcy.
Police spokesperson, George Okafor, told PREMIUM
TIMES the command was working hard to resolve
the crisis.
He did not confirm if there were casualties.
“There was an attempted jailbreak and the prisons
called in the police. We cordoned off the area and
restored nomalcy to the area,” he said. “We will
brief you later on the issue once everything have
been sorted out.”