At least two prison warders and 10 inmates are feared dead following a failed jail break attempt at the Abakaliki federal prison in Ebonyi State on Thursday.
The Controller of Prisons, Ebonyi, Adaobi Oputa, who confirmed the development yesterday, said the incident occurred around 9.20 a.m. when some inmates refused to allow prison warders conduct the early morning routine search of their cells.
Although no inmate escaped from the facility, Mrs. Oputa said they tried to escape by attempting to break one of the walls but the situation was quickly brought under control by the combined efforts of the armed squad of the Prisons, the Police and Military stationed at the prison.
An official, who craved anonymity, said that some of the inmates protested over the poor breakfast served to them by prison officials. This claim, however, was denied by the controller of prison.
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Another insider, a warder, said a warder was killed and about 10 wounded by the inmates in their bid to escape.
The prison warder said the situation was brought under control by soldiers and mobile policemen, who arrived the scene in 2 Hilux vans.
He said “the report that I am hearing from the prison is that over 12 persons lost their lives and many others injured, one is a warder and rest were inmates”.
Meanwhile, the State Governor, David Umahi, has declared a state of emergency on Abakaliki Prisons.
He spoke when he visited the prisons after he returned from Port Harcourt, Rivers State where he attended the Peoples Democratic Party botched national convention.
