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More than 1,800 inmates have escaped after heavily armed men attacked a prison in southwest Nigeria using explosives, prison authorities said MondayADVERTISING
The attackers blasted their way into the Owerri prison in Imo state, engaging guards in a gun battle, the national corrections authority said in a statement.
“I can confirm that the Imo State command of the Nigerian Correctional Service was attacked by unknown gunmen in Owerri,” Imo state corrections service spokesman James Madugba told AFP, adding that the number of escaped inmates was yet to be confirmed.
“The situation is under control,” he said.
The assailants arrived in pickup trucks and buses before storming the facility, the correction authority statement said.
Imo state is part of a region that has long been a hotbed for separatist groups and where tensions between federal authorities and the indigenous Igbo population are often high.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has recently been posting videos on social media of dozens of its militiamen in training.
But IPOB spokesman Emmanuel Powerful rejected any involvement in the prison attack in a statement sent to AFP, dismissing any accusations as “lies”.
Inspector General of police’s reaction
Initial evidence gathered by the Nigeria Police Force has confirmed those behind the attack on the Imo police command were members of IPOB’s ESN. This by the Police IG Adamu who said that it has been confurmed that they were the people who attacked the station and the federal prison – Adamu has ordered immediate reinforcements in the state to prevent further breakdown of law and order PAY ATTENTION: Join Legit.ng Telegram channel! Never miss important updates! The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has disclosed that the attack on the force headquarters in Imo state are members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN). In a statement sent to Legit.ng and signed by police spokesperson Frank Mba on Monday, April 5, the IGP noted that initial investigations by the force showed that ESN, a security body recently launched by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was behind the attack. The statement read: READ ALSO Mozzart Bet buys Cristiano Ronaldo’s Armband in a humanitarian auction “Preliminary investigations have revealed that the attackers, who came in their numbers with sophisticated weapons such as General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), Sub-Machine Guns (SMGs), AK49 rifles, Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), are members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)/Eastern Security Network (ESN).” The statement informed that the police officers in the station at the time of the attack prevented the assailants from gaining access to the armoury to steal weapons. IGP Adamu says the force’s initial investigations showed that proscribed IPOB’s ESN was behind the attack on the Imo police station. According to the statement, the attempt by the attackers to enter the armoury at the Headquarters was resisted by officers on duty. The officers repelled the attackers and prevented them from breaking in and looting the armoury which remains intact! The police also confirmed that no officer was killed. A Police Constable only sustained a minor bullet wound on his shoulder. In the bid to get to the root of the matter, the IGP ordered immediate deployment of additional units of Police Mobile Force (PMF) and other Police Tactical Squads to Imo State to strengthen security in Imo state. The police statement says this is to prevent further attacks on security formations or any other critical national infrastructure in the state. Legit.ng earlier reported how there was pandemonium in Imo in the early hours of Monday after gunmen now identified as ESN members, attacked a federal prison and the state police command headquarters in Owerri, the state capital. About 1500 inmates in the prison were said to have been set free by the gunmen. Though the numcer has not been confirmed as some prisoners refused to escape.
President Buhari’s reacts
Arrest And Punish Terrorists Who Attacked Govt Facilities In Imo, Buhari Orders
- President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered relevant agencies of the federal government to end what he called “anarchy” in Imo State. The President in a statement Monday issued by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, condemned what he regarded as the “deadly insurgent attack” that took place on the Police Command Headquarters and the Correctional Facility in Owerri, Imo State, on Monday, calling it an act of terrorism.
The President also ordered security and intelligence agencies in the state and the geo-political zone to fully mobilise and go after the terrorists, apprehend them and get them punished under the full weight of the law.
President Buhari then appealed to members of the public to assist the law enforcement agencies with any relevant information that could lead to the apprehension of these criminals who perpetrated this despicable act.
He also urged members of the public to be vigilant as all of us have a stake in preserving our way of life from disruption by terrorists and anarchists while the Federal Government will use every available tool at its disposal to confront and terminate this bare-faced anarchy.
He also called for the best efforts to be made to rearrest fleeing prison detainees, many of whom are believed to be deadly criminals.
The President hailed the initial response by security guards and security forces for preventing greater loss of life and the destruction of public propert
IPOB dissociates self from attacks on Police facility, NCS in Imo
Featured NewsBy Vincent Ufuoma On Apr 5, 2021
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THE Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) has dissociated itself from Monday attacks on Imo State Police headquarters and the Nigerian Correctional Service in Owerri.
It also reiterated that its members and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) had never been involved in assaulting Nigeria’s security operatives.
The Media and Publicity Secretary of the group Emma Powerful told newsmen while reacting to the incident on Monday morning that IPOB and ESN were not involved in the attacks.
He described media reports linking the group and its security outfit to the attacks as fallacious and fabricated.
“The attention of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been drawn again to the fallacious and fabricated news that IPOB and ESN are involved in the attack of prison and police headquarters in owerri imo state,” he said.
“IPOB and ESN are known groups, not unknown gunmen. ESN is in the bush chasing Fulani terrorists, why linking IPOB and ESN to this attack? IPOB and ESN were not involved in the attack in Owerri, Imo State. and the recent attack on Onitsha- Owerri Road at Ukwuorji Junction. It is not our mandate to attack security personnel or prison facilities.”
He urged the Nigerian government and media houses to stop labelling IPOB members and its security operatives as unknown gunmen, as their primary assignment was mainly to resist the terror of the killer Fulani herders.
“The Nigerian government and her compromised media outfits should stop linking IPOB and ESN to the multiple attacks going on in Nigeria now. IPOB was formed on the principle of peace and we are still in it. Unknown gunmen are different people; we don’t know them and they are not IPOB or ESN security outfit.”
Biafra Nations League makes a statement
Biafra Nations League, BNL has asked the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma to resign immediately following the attacks on the state police headquarters and the correctional centre.
The group said that the Governor found himself in the current situation after he invited the military to attack members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and Eastern Security Network, ESN.
Princewill Chimezie Richard, National Leader of the BNL made the claim while addressing newsmen in Owerri, the capital of Imo State on Monday.
According to him, many prisoners languishing in the correctional centres are innocent of the offences they were accused of.
He accused the police of congesting the correctional Centre without charging suspects to court, adding that the group will not condemn the attack.
The group called on the Governor of the State, Hope Uzodinma to, “resign for peace to reign” in the State.
“Uzodinma entered trouble when he invited the military to Orlu to massacre innocent people in the name of searching for IPOB/ESN.”
Nigerian Prisons make their own statement
DAILY POST had reported that unidentified hoodlums attacked the correctional centre on Monday morning, setting the prison on fire and freed hundreds of inmates.
The Nigerian Correctional Service has said six inmates voluntarily returned while 35 others refused to escape from custody after the correctional facility was attacked on Monday in Owerri, Imo state.
The acting Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS, John Mrabure, disclosed this in a statement signed by the spokesman for corrections, Francis Enobore.
The Nigeria prisons facility that was attacked
According to the statement, Mrabure has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident and appealed to the good citizens of Imo state and Nigerians to volunteer useful intelligence to recapture the fleeing inmates.
The statement read: “The Owerri Custodial Centre in Imo State has been attacked by unknown gunmen and forcefully released a total of 1,844 inmates in custody.
“The attackers who stormed the facility at about 0215hrs on Monday 5th April 2021, gained entrance into the yard by using explosives to blast the administrative block.
“They were said to have arrived at the centre in their large number in several Hilux pick-up vans and Sienna buses armed with sophisticated weapons and immediately engaged the security personnel on duty in a fierce gun battle. They eventually detonated the explosive to gain entrance.
“The Acting Controller-General of Corrections, John Mrabure has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident and in collaboration with other security organizations, commenced a search and recovery operations to recapture the fleeing inmates.
“While appealing to the good citizens of Imo State and indeed Nigerians to volunteer useful intelligence that will facilitate the recovery effort, the Ag. Controller-General wishes to assure that the security of custodial centres in the country remains sacrosanct.
“He equally directed all officers attached to custodial facilities to remain vigilant at this trying moment in our history. As at the last count, 6 inmates have so far voluntarily returned to the facility while 35 inmates refused to escape from custody during the attack.”
