Some unknown gunmen invaded Minna Medium Security Prison on Sunday night, killing a prison officer and a commercial motorcyclist who conveyed him to night duty.
It was learnt that the gunmen came to the prison premises at about 8-9pm, shooting for over one hour to scare away residents living around the area.
Our correspondent gathered that the gunmen attacked the prison and gained access after exchange of fire with prison armed men, which led to the death of prison officer and the commercial motorcyclist.
One of the residents of Kafin-Teller where the prison is situated, Mohammed Umaru, told our correspondent that most of the prisoners that escaped during the incident came back on their own.Umaru alleged that the prison premises is “porous,” and made it possible for the gunmen to gain access .
“I saw them coming out from one Hilux van, Honda Civic and Golf cars ordering everybody in our community to go inside our houses, threatening to shoot us,” he stated.When contacted, the Nigerian Prison Service Public Relations Officer, Raibu Shuaibu, confirmed the incident, saying that through the combined efforts of all security agencies in the state, seven prisoners who attempted to escape have been captured and returned to the prison.
The prison authority in Minna also said it was profiling the number of fleeing inmatesto ascertain the escaped prisoners.Meanwhile, normalcy has returned and security agencies are working together to ensure that fleeing inmates are recaptured.
It may be recalled that in December 2014 in the same prison, 270 inmates reportedly escaped from custody.
