Five hundred and seventy-five inmates at Oyo State Prison in southwestern Nigeria, attacked Friday evening by heavily armed men, are on the run, the prison administration spokesman said on Saturday. in a press release.
“The medium security detention center in Oyo, in Oyo state, was attacked by unidentified gunmen,” Olanrewaju Anjorin said.
“The attackers arrived at the center heavily armed and after a fierce clash with the guards, they managed to enter the yard using dynamite to blow up the wall,” he said.
All the prisoners in pre-trial detention were released, that is to say 837, according to this press release, but the district of the condemned and that of the detainees were not touched.
However, “267 of the escapees were found, leaving 575 people still at large,” added the spokesperson.
The statement does not specify whether people were injured or killed in the attack.
Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, faces severe insecurity and large swathes of its territory are affected by the activities of criminal groups.
On September 13, a prison was attacked in the center of the country, in Kogi State, where 240 detainees were forcibly released.
In April, another prison was attacked, this time in the separatist-ridden southeast of the country, and more than 1,800 inmates escaped.