The Nigerian Prison Service in Ebonyi State has given a hint about the mastermind of the botched recent prison break that recorded immense casualties.
The failed attempt to break out of the enclosed cell by a large group of prisoners which took place last week Thursday was perpetrated by an inmate who has been awaiting trial at the prison facility for 6 years, Vanguard reports.
Much details were not given about the ring-leader's identity of nature of offence.
Built in 1946 with an installed capacity of 387 inmates, the Abakaliki Prisons had 920 inmates as at Thursday. Of the figure, “811 are awaiting trial prisoners leaving just 109 as convicted inmates. The ring leader had in fact, spent about nine years awaiting trial,” he said.
How the incident happened
In the statement signed by the Service Public Relations Officer, Francis Enobore, the CG also gave an insight as to the circumstances leading to the attempted jailbreak.
While he confirmed that no prisoner escaped during the incident, the Controller General, who inspected the prisons stated that trouble started when prisons officials were about to carry out routine cell-search in the morning but the inmates in a particular cell resisted the exercise.
“They suddenly became riotous, broke other cells and released the inmates. They eventually broke into the workshop to arm themselves with dangerous weapons and severely attacked some staff trapped in the yard while others made for the main gate and pulled it down”, he explained.
According to him, the prisons armed squad and men from other security agencies on guard outside the perimeter fence were firing warning shots to deter the rampaging inmates but a number of them rushed out to escape.
Ahmed said: “the bold attempt was resisted by the combined team of armed personnel who prevented what would have turned into a catastrophic security situation had the inmates succeeded in escaping.”