By Etse Kassim, Abuja
The Akwa Ibom State Command of the Nigerian Prison Service (NPS) has given reason for the Wednesday shooting to death of four inmates of the Ikot-Ekpene’s prison.
A statement issued by Ogbajie Ogbajie, the Command’s spokesman, said the inmates had engaged men of the prison service in a major scuffle in their quest to escape from confinement which led to the shooting of the four deceased.
He said 36 of the prisoners escaped from the prison as a result of the brutal confrontation, adding that seven others who also benefited from the jail break have been recaptured.
Parts of the statement read : “At about 1147 hrs on Wednesday, 27 December 2017, there was an attack on kitchen staff that were on duty at Ikot Ekpene Prison in Akwa-Ibom State by some prisoners.
“They seized an axe from fellow inmate attached to the kitchen, inflicting a deep cut to inmates’ head in the process and immediately made for the rear entrance to the prison.
“They broke the door with the axe and engaged the staff that chased after them in battle. At the end of the scuffle, four of them that sustained gunshots lost their lives while seven were recaptured.
“36 are still at large and search parties have been activated to effect their recapture.”
The statement further said that the Controller of Prisons Akwa Ibom State Command, Alex Oditah, has ordered an investigation into the circumstance surrounding the unfortunate incident.
“The CP wishes to appeal to members of the public to assist the authority with useful intelligence that will aid arrest of feeling prisoners assuring that security has been strengthen in all prison formations in the State to forestall breach of security,” the statement added.
