ABUJA, Nigeria: More than 1,800 inmates escaped from a prison in southeastern Nigeria after it was attacked by gunmen on Monday, and feared a new armed insurgency was building in a predominantly Christian part of the country. that the north is dominated by Muslim jihadist militancy and rampant criminal gangs.
Dozens of armed assailants entered the courtyard of the Owerri city prison around 2 a.m., local officials and eyewitnesses said. The gunmen used explosives to open the administrative buildings and opened the cells.
The assault, which lasted several hours, was part of a series of coordinated night attacks in which gunmen also ran police and military installations with rocket-propelled grenades and explosives in the state capital. d’Imo.
“We’re very scared of what happens next,” said Blessing Iwe-Ajunwa, an Owerri resident who heard shots fired during the night. “Many prisoners have merged into the community.”
President Muhammadu Buhari said the breaking of the prison was an “act of terrorism” carried out by the anarchists. He called on security forces to capture the attackers and fugitive prisoners.