At least four soldiers have been feared killed in a jailbreak at the Kabba Correctional Center in Kogi State. About 240 inmates were freed when gunmen attacked the centre in the early hours of Monday.
When the gunmen arrived in the area, they shot sporadically at the soldiers before invading the prison facility and left one soldier and correctional officers on guard injured.
The soldiers were said to have mounted a roadblock about 50 metres before the prison situated along Lokoja-Okebukun-Kabba-highway.
An eyewitness said the gunmen also shot at an uncompleted building where the soldiers normally hibernate.
A source close to the facility confirmed that four of the freed prisoners were rearrested at about 8.00 am on Monday beside Kudon hotel, Kabba as they made efforts to board a vehicle to escape to Ilorin.
Confirming the incident, the Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 8, Ayuba Edeh, said the State Commissioner of Police and other heads of security agencies have swung into action to do an assessment of the cause of the jailbreak.
• Only two security operatives were killed ― Govt
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, in a statement issued on Monday said only two security operatives were killed during the incident.
He said: “We can confirm that some gunmen attacked the Kabba Custodial Centre but investigations are still on to clearly ascertain the number of inmates that escaped from the centre. We also lost two security operatives. That is the number we have at the moment.
“The State Security Adviser, Commander Jerry Omodara (rtd) is currently at the Centre with the Kogi State Commissioner of Police and the Commander, Army Records, Lokoja. Security agencies have zeroed in to ensure those who escaped are rearrested as well as trail the masterminds of the attack.
“We have confidence in our security agencies to unmask the masterminds responsible for the attack and get them apprehended. Our security network has led to the rearrest of the majority of the inmates that escaped as some have also come back to the centre on their own.
“Security agencies, traditional rulers and local hunters are working in synergy to ensure normalcy. We urge Kogi citizens and citizens of neighbouring states to help volunteer information that will ensure the apprehension of the masterminds of the dastardly act.
“Our people should go about their normal businesses as security agencies are doing their best to ensure the security of lives and property in the face of the unfortunate breach.”
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