Gunmen on Monday morning invaded the Owerri Correctional Prison in the Imo State capital and freed over 1500 inmates, Punch newspaper has reported.
The Imo State Police Command headquarters situated in Owerri was also attacked and burnt including most of the vehicles parked at the command headquarters.
The hoodlums further freed the suspects in almost all the cells at the Imo State Criminal Investigation Department of the command. It was a well coordinated Prison break.
The gunmen were said to have operated from 1am till 3am on Monday, singing solidarity songs for about 30 minutes at the Imo State Government House Roundabout according to an eyewitness who spoke with the news outlet.
The prison break on the Imo State correctional facility was carried out with the aid of explosives and dynamite, the attackers told the inmates, “Go home, Jesus has risen. You have no reason to be here.”
When contacted, the police spokesperson in the state, Orlando Ikeokwu, confirmed there was a prison break in Imo. Authorities have called on the people especially within Owerri and environs to be calm as they are on top of the situation.