Minna Prison Break; 64 Re-Arrested, 211 At Large

1st Vice Chairman Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Rivers/Bayelsa State branch, Hon. Charles Beke (left) confering with Chairman Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Rivers/Bayelsa State branch, Mrs Ekama E. Akpan (right) during press briefing of 30th Annual General Meeting of MAN at the council in Port Harcourt recently. Photo: Egberi A. Sampson

The Comptroller General of Prisons, Dr. Peter Ekpendu, yesterday said 64 of the 270 inmates freed by gunmen that invaded the Medium Prison, Minna, Niger State, Saturday have been arrested while 211 of them have yet to be found.
Ekpendu stated this while briefing newsmen on the situation of the prison following the weekend attack by the gunmen during which prison guards were overpowered.
“I wish to state categorically that the incident, which took place less than 24 hours after handing and taking over between my predecessor and I is very unfortunate. It is completely unacceptable. We have to say any officer found culpable or found wanting will face the full wrath of the law.
“Meanwhile, I have ordered the immediate transfer of 55 officers of the state and zonal headquarters in the state to report at this prison and the old prison, Minna, to beef up security,” he said.
While appreciating the complementary efforts of the Army,Police, SSS and other security agencies in stabilising the security of the area, Ekpendu said search parties had been dispatched and spread over the state to apprehend the fleeing inmates.
He said investigation into the matter had commenced and rule out the involvement of Boko Haram in the attack.
The CGP said, “Modalities to checkmate these attacks are being put in place by my administration and I want to assure you of the peace of this prison and that of all prisons nationwide. On the last question of whether Boko Haram could be involved, preliminary report and having gone round the prison facilities and taken briefs from the officer in charge, the Comptroller of Prisons, there is no evidence to link Boko Haram with the incident of yesterday in this prison.”
Gunmen numbering about 10 stormed the state Maximum Prison along David Mark Road, Minna Saturday evening and set the prisoners free. Before forcing their way into the Prison, they were said to have shot the warders on duty.
The situation at the prison was however brought under normalcy after exchange of fireworks between the gunmen and the police for about 15 minutes. The warders who were injured were immediately rushed to the Minna General Hospital for treatment.
It was gathered that the gunmen accompanied the freed prisoners through a foot path to enable them escape.
The gunmen it was also gathered stormed the bye pass after leading the prisoners to escape and snatched vehicles from unsuspecting owners to ferry them out of danger.