There was pandemonium yesterday, in Kuje Area Council, following sporadic gunshots, tear-gas and wailing from inmates at the Kuje Medium Prison.
Leadership reports that trouble started in the facility at exactly 10:30am, when Prison officials attempted to carry out routine checks to ascertain the number of inmates but met a stiff resistance by inmates, allegedly angry over what they termed as gross neglect and starvation.
A source who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, though he was yet to know if there was an escape, a combined team of security operatives had been drafted to the facility to contain the uprising.
The source who explained that the riot sprang up in resistance to series of tear-gas fired at inmates for daring to challenge the officials also revealed that, “these heartless officers locked the various cells and opened several cans of this heart/ liver- damaging substance on hungry and weak inmates.”
He said, “I know that we must do our job diligently but I must also say that some inmates and officials as well as those residing in this neighbourhood are allergic to tear gas, as some may be suffering from various respiratory diseases.
“There is heavy shooting now in Kuje, the whole place is in confusion. All the inmates have been locked in their cells but the security operatives are releasing teargas into these cells, the wailing is unbearable. This is not fair at all. These are humans and must be treated with dignity.”
When contacted, spokesperson of the Nigerian Prison Service, Francis Enobore, who confirmed the incident, said information at his disposal was sketchy but promised to revert.
Recall that prior to this foiled attempt, Kuje Medium Facility recently came under an attack which paved the way for the escape of two culpable homicide inmates , a development, which the federal government blamed on relaxed security.
Barely some weeks after the Kuje incident, on July 30, 13 inmates also escaped from the Koton Karfe prison in Kogi State.
The chain was further strengthened 10 days later, when another 15 inmates again, escaped from Nsukka prisons facility in Enugu State.
On August 21, 2016, no fewer than 14 inmates of the Abakaliki prison in Ebonyi State capital, were feared killed during another botched jailbreak bid.
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