Riots break out at kuje prisons

Riot broke out in Kuje Prison on Monday morning
just as officials arrived at the facility for their
routine duties.
.
A top prison official, who cannot be named
because he is not authorized to speak on the
matter, told PREMIUM TIMES the crisis started at
about 10.30am from one of the blocks and spread
to other blocks within the facility.
.
He said a team of security operatives had been
drafted to the facility to contain the uprising but
could not tell whether any inmate had escaped.
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Another source said inmates had been locked up
while heavily armed security operatives fire
teargas towards inmates’ cells.
.
“There is heavy shooting now,” our source said.
“The whole place is in confusion. All the inmates
have been locked in their cells but the security
operatives are shooting teargas into the cells,” the
source said.
.
“We don’t know what happened but it seems there
is serious trouble here. There are so many armed
security operatives all over the place.”
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The spokesperson of the Nigerian Prison Service,
Francis Enobore, confirmed the incident when
contacted by PREMIUM TIMES.
.
“We have received report of a problem in Kuje
Prison but give me a little time to get the facts on
it as some of our men are already on ground to
handle the situation,” he said.
.
“We are monitoring what is happening. I will revert
to you as soon we get more detail from our men
on the ground.”
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There have been increasing cases of jailbreaks in
recent times.
.
On July 30, not less than 13 inmates escaped from
Koton Karfe prison in Kogi State.
Ten days later, no fewer than 15 inmates at the
Federal Prisons in Nsukka, Enugu State, escaped in
another jailbreak that reportedly took place late in
the evening.
.
Also this August, no fewer than 14 inmates of the
Abakaliki prison in Ebonyi State capital, were
feared killed during a jailbreak bid under the cover
of a prison riot.
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Via Premium Times