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An alleged attempt was made to break free inmates being conveyed to Oko Medium prison from court in Benin, Edo State on Thursday evening, this is according to the Controller of Prisons in the state, Mr. Effiom Etowa.
Etowa, who was speaking at a press briefing in Benin City on Friday, disclosed that three suspects involved in the alleged rescue attempt were arrested, while one of the two vehicles used by the suspects was impounded. The other escaped with the occupants.
The Controller said the suspects had trailed the two Green Maria conveying the inmates from court along Sapele road area of Benin to Airport road when they were stopped from overtaking the vehicles conveying the suspects.
He noted that eighteeen inmates who were been conveyed by the green maria were high profile inmates whose offences ranges from robbery and that of kidnapping.
Accroding to Etowa, “The two vehicles had been on the trail of the two black maria and another backup vehicle that were been used to conveyed the inmates back to prison from the court.
“Upon suspicion of these vehicles, my arm squad team warned them to desist from following them but they kept on chasing our vehicles even at the same speed.
“It was at this turn that my arm squad shot sporadically into the air to scare them but again, this didn’t deter them.
“It was at this point that my officers found a way of blocking them and in the process apprehended one of the vehicles, a Hyundai car while the other, a C-class escaped”.
Etowa said the arrested suspects have been handed over to the police, who had already launched investigations into the incident.
He, however, debunked claims that some inmates were rescued by their colleagues in the operation.