No fewer than 2, 000 inmates at the headquarters of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), Owerri, Imo State were set free by unknown gunmen on Monday morning.
The gunmen also attacked the nearby office of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the state police command, also freeing suspects there.
the gunmen operated in over 10 vehicles, and also attacked soldiers stationed at Umuorji along Owerri–Onitsha Expressway.
The attackers were said to have had a free rein during the operation that lasted about two hours and said to have started between 1 am and 2 am on Monday.
The gunmen caused panic in the town as explosions were heard around the state police command headquarters and the NCC facility in Owerri.
“There was a jailbreak at the Owerri Correctional Centre around 4am after the gunmen struck. Soldiers have been called in to secure the facility but several inmates have fled,” a source reported.
This is the fifth attack on police headquarters across the state.
Four police divisional headquarters had been attacked since February. They include Obowo, Aboh Mbaise and Ihitte/Uboma, divisions.
Unknown gunmen on March 20 razed the Isiala Mbano Police Divisional Headquarters located at Umuelemai in Imo State.
The gunmen, invaded the divisional headquarters armoury and freed suspects in the detention facility and carted away arms.
It was gathered that the gunmen sacked police officers on duty, freed suspects, invaded the facility's arms storage department before setting it ablaze.
Four policemen allegedly sustained gunshot injuries from the invaders.
It was also stated that the culprits did not flee immediately but stayed by and supervised the burning of the police facility.
When contacted, the police spokesperson in the state, Orlando Ikeokwu, confirmed the attacks.
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