Lagos, Nigeria, November 30, : A group of unknown gunmen attacked a central Nigerian custodial centre, killing at least 11 people and allowing 252 escape from the facility.Officials have confirmed that they were responsible. Francis Enobore (a spokesman for Nigerian Correctional Service) stated Monday that one guard at the facility and nine prisoners were killed in the attack by gunmen in Jos, capital of the Plateau state, on Sunday evening.This was according to Xinhua news agency.
Enobore stated that another member of staff was also shot in the hand, and that six inmates were also hurt in the attack.
He added that one of the gunmen was also killed during the gun duel.
According to the spokesperson, 262 inmates and some attackers escaped in the melee, before reinforcement could be provided by sister services.It was noted that 10 inmates were recaptured so far, leaving 252 still at large.
Enobore stated that efforts are ongoing to find all “the perpetrators” and that security has been stepped up at the facility.Enobore called on locals to cooperate in apprehending the fleeing inmates, and for providing credible intelligence that could “nip such horrible incidents in the bud.”
He said that the Jos custodial centre had 1,060 inmates at the time of the attack, including 560 pre-trial detainees as well as 500 convicts.
In October, the Nigerian government announced that it had conducted an audit of Nigeria’s prison facilities to assess their vulnerability following a series of jailbreaks in Nigeria in recent months.
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