Inquiry Line (Signal only)

Live Broadcast

Gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram kill 2 and free 175 inmates

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Pocket
WhatsApp
Boko haram fighter 1

Boko haram fighter 1Gunmen yesterday shot dead two persons and used explosives to free 175 inmates in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

The about 30 gunmen invaded the Olokuta Medium Security Prison, setting 175 inmates free.

 

The development led to anxiety and panic in the state capital as people are reluctant to go for the early church service for fear of a rumoured Boko Haram invasion.

The hoodlums, who were fully armed arrived at the prison premises around 12: 05a.m., shooting sporadically into the air to scare off some of the prison officials on duty.

It was gathered that the gunmen gained entrance into the prison by blowing up the wall leading into the inmates’ cells, after an attempt to force open the main entrance failed.

Our correspondents also learnt that an officer of the prison, who was on duty was shot before scores of prisoners escaped with the gunmen.

The prison, which is about a kilometre to the headquarters of the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Owena Barrack, was riddled with bullets. All the streetlights leading to the prison were also destroyed by the hoodlums.

The state Comptroller of Prisons, Tunde Olayiwola, described the attack as unusual, saying the authorities would soon bring the culprits to book.

He confirmed that the incident happened around 12:05a.m. and dispelled the rumour that the attack was masterminded by the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

“The unknown gunmen numbering over 20 came at about midnight into the Olokuta prison through the main gate after using dynamite,” Olayiwola said.

“The gunmen shot and killed two people while trying to get in. Some of the escaped prisoners have been re-arrested,” Olayiwola said, adding that some prison staff were injured in a gun battle and were receiving treatment.

“We cannot specifically identify those behind the attack, but the attack is unusual.

“I am assuring that those behind the attack will be brought to book,” he said.

However, an unconfirmed report said some of the prisoners set free by the hoodlums had already been arrested by security agents in the state.

It was gathered that some of the prisoners were traced by the security agents to some of the brothels within the capital city and neighbouring villages where they were identified and arrested.

A visit to the Olokuta prison by our correspondents showed that the situation had been brought under control with a detachment of security agents deployed to secure the premises

The state Commissioner of Police, Patrick Dokumor, was one of the early callers at the scene of the incident while some government functionaries led by the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Eyitayo Jegede, also visited the prison.

The Public Relations Officer of the Police Command in the state, Mr. Wole Ogodo, confirmed the attack and said the police command had contacted the prison authorities, saying the information gathered on the jailbreak was still sketchy.

Ogodo noted that the incident had nothing to do with terrorism and called on the people of the state to continue with their normal duties.

He assured them that the police would continue to protect lives and properties of the people of the state.

The Police spokesman also disclosed that all the security agents within the state were working in tracking the criminals with a pledge that all the hoodlums would be brought to book.

However, some people who spoke with our correspondent said the attack might not be unconnected with the recent pronouncement of President Goodluck Jonathan, urging the governors in the country to sign death warrants.

Some of the people believed that the attack was masterminded by a group to save the lives of some of their members who had been sentenced to death, believing the Ondo State government might also signed the death warrants as being done by the Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

One of the sources said: “In my 50 years in this town, there has never been anything like this in the history of prison in this state.

“This is just a strange. I am sure it has nothing to do with Boko Haram but some criminals who are determined in setting some of their colleagues free,” he said.

In another development, about 50 suspected terrorists have been killed at the weekend in Borno State by men of the Joint Task Force, JTF, even as three others who were on a suspected deadly mission to Jigawa State were arrested by volunteer youths, also known as ‘Civilian JTF’.

The latest killings of the suspected members of the Boko Haram sect took place at the Zabarmari ward of Jere Local Government Area of Maiduguri metropolis.

Zabarmari is one of the black spots notorious for playing host to the Boko Haram, which has been marked for a clean out by the JTF.

“Over the weekend, we received an intelligence report that several numbers of Boko Haram terrorists have regrouped and were residing/hiding in Zabarmari ward.

“We mobilised our troops to the area, and on reaching the place, the suspects upon noticing our presence, began to shout ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is Great) and started shooting sporadically at the JTF troops.

“We, therefore, had no option than to repel the attacks and we succeeded in killing about 10.

“We decided not to take away any of their corpses, as we left them in the area, but the following day when we mobilised our men to the area, we found out that hundreds of the terrorists were at one of the graveyards burying their dead ones, and when we approached, some of them started shooting at our troops which led to the exchange of gun fire.

“We succeeded in killing over 40 of them as well.

“As I am talking to you now, our men are still in Zabarmari hunting for suspected terrorists who might have escaped the deadly encounter,” the source noted.

On the arrest of three suspected Boko Haram members, who were on a suicide mission to Jigawa and other states in the North, the source said: “The men of the JTF are highly delighted with the zeal/effort being put in place by the vigilante youths popularly called ‘Civilian JTF’. Just yesterday, they were able to arrest three suspected Boko Haram members at the Borno Express motor park.

“They later handed them over to the JTF unit, and after torture, one of them now dead said they are from Bama Local Government Area on a suicide mission to Jigawa and other states in the North. In fact, the deceased before his death told us that, already, all their weapons of massive destruction have been transported to the target areas waiting for them to arrive before luck run out of them.”

Already, the source added that even though one of the arrested suspects is unconscious after the torture, the other one who seem to be in stable condition promised to take the JTF to Bama to show them some of their members’ hideouts.

The JTF has commended the people of the state for their zeal in ensuring the arrest of some terrorists in recent times.

In a statement by its spokesman, Lt. Colonel Sagir Musa, the JTF said it supports and commends “the heroic and patriotic efforts of citizens and residents of the state especially the youths who are daily rising against Boko Haram terrorism” in the state.

The JTF, Sagir added, wishes to allay the fears and concerns of some members of the public as regards the activities of the youths popularly known as “Civilian JTF” in the state.

It would be recalled that some residents of Maiduguri have expressed fears on some of the Civilian JTF who mostly go about different areas of the metropolis armed with knives, cutlasses, sticks and dangerous weapons in the search for Boko Haram suspects before handing them over to JTF for execution.

But Sagir in the statement said, the JTF has since commenced the process of monitoring, guiding and regulating the activities of the vigilante youths with the view to making them operate within the ambit of the law.

He said this is in order to making them more useful in fighting Boko Haram terrorism in Borno without becoming a nuisance to the society.

In a related development, the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. General Onyeabo Ihejirika, yesterday announced that he has been able to reposition the army in the light of current security challenges which he said was effectively being tackled.

The COAS however lamented his inability to enjoy a peaceful tenure since his appointment in 2010 as the COAS, due to the wave of terrorism in the country especially the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents.

While condemning the insurgents and activities of the Boko Haram at an interdenominational church service as part of events marking this year’s Nigerian Army Day Celebration, holding in Abuja, Ihejirika however expressed delight that the country is currently winning the war on terror.

According to him, he was compelled to reposition the Army in order to face the contemporary security challenges in the country, which is the thrust of the administration.

He added that he was very happy with the attitude of his men on the field in dealing with insurgents, saying they have displayed the highest ideals of professionalism, bravery and competence.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, yesterday said it has credible reports that security forces are killing, torturing, illegally detaining and raping civilians in the current fight to halt the Boko Haram uprising.

A report by the commission said troops retaliating against civilians torched homes and tried to hide evidence of gross violations by disposing of bodies.

In the most egregious case, where troops went on a rampage in several villages after a soldier was killed in mid-April in Baga, it quoted police as saying soldiers “started shooting indiscriminately at anybody in sight including domestic animals. This reaction resulted to loss of lives and massive destruction of properties.”

The military said 36 people were killed, most of them extremist fighters. Witnesses told the AP at the time that some 187 civilians were killed.

The commission said the killings also came after militants had ransacked an armoury, with subsequent reports indicating the extremists enjoyed an increase in the calibre and quantity of weapons and “had become both more organised and emboldened by their apparent successes despite the enhanced security presence.”

The commission, a government body, issued an interim report saying it would finalise it when its investigators are able to visit the area where soldiers have cut mobile phone and Internet connections.

Facebook Comments
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Pocket
WhatsApp

Never miss any important news. Subscribe to our newsletter.

Recent News

Follow Radio Biafra on Twitter

Editor's Pick