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Inmates as well as officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service were hurt on Wednesday in an attempted jailbreak at the Medium Security Custodial Centre Ubiaja in Edo State.
The incident happened days after a foiled jailbreak by inmates in Bauchi State which left many injured.
The attempted jailbreak at Ubiaja also happened days after over 1,800 inmates were freed when gunmen attacked the Owerri prison in Imo State. Hoodlums had also attacked prisons in Edo State last October in the aftermath of the #EndSARS riot, freeing thousands of inmates.
In a statement on Friday by the spokesman for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Edo State Command, Aminu Suleman, inmates at Ubiaja prison on Wednesday “started an unrest by refusing to return to their cells on being opened out as it is the routine practice”.
“Investigation later revealed that some hardened criminals among the inmates instigated others to riot having heard of what happened at Oko, Benin and Owerri to effect jail break for possible escape.
“This led to violence, damaging of cells, the admin blocks, medical office and boring of holes on the perimeter fence in a bid to facilitate their escape from custody,” Suleman said in the statement titled, ‘Jailbreak Foiled At Ubiaja Custodial Centre’.
Continuing, the statement added, “They were eventually repelled and overpowered due to the re-enforcement of armed personnel of the Correctional Service, the Police Force, Nigerian Army, NSCDC and the DSS who were deployed to the Custodial center to ensure calm and full control of the situation.
“The situation is fully under control with the inmates returned to their cells. No life was lost but some staff and inmates sustained various degrees of injuries and no inmate escaped from custody.”
Suleman stated that the Controller of Correctional Service in the state was at the Custodial Centre in person and thanked the various sister security agencies for the effective synergy and prompt response.
The spokesperson for the state command also said the Controller assured the general public of peace and calm at the various custodial centres in Edo State.