Confusion, gunshots at Kuje Prison as riot breaks out

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Riot broke out in Kuje Prison on Monday morning just as officials arrived at the facility for their routine duties.

A top prison official, who cannot be named because he is not authorized to speak on the matter, told PREMIUM TIMES the crisis started at about 10.30am from one of the blocks and spread to other blocks within the facility.

He said a team of security operatives had been drafted to the facility to contain the uprising but could not tell whether any inmate had escaped.

Another source said inmates had been locked up while heavily armed security operatives fire teargas towards inmates’ cells.

“There is heavy shooting now,” our source said. “The whole place is in confusion. All the inmates have been locked in their cells but the security operatives are shooting teargas into the cells,” the source said.

“We don’t know what happened but it seems there is serious trouble here. There are so many armed security operatives all over the place.”

The spokesperson of the Nigerian Prison Service, Francis Enobore, confirmed the incident when contacted by PREMIUM TIMES.

“We have received report of a problem in Kuje Prision but give me a little time to get the facts on it as some of our men are already on ground to handle the situation,” he said.

“We are monitoring what is happening. I will revert to you as soon we get more detail from our men on the ground.”

There have been increasing cases of jailbreaks in recent times.

On July 30, not less than 13 inmates escaped from Koton Karfe prison in Kogi State.

Ten days later, no fewer than 15 inmates at the Federal Prisons in Nsukka, Enugu State, escaped in another jailbreak that reportedly took place late in the evening.

Also this August, no fewer than 14 inmates of the Abakaliki prison in Ebonyi State capital, were feared killed during a jailbreak bid under the cover of a prison riot.