Gunmen attack prison in southeastern Nigeria holding 1,500
by Hilary Uguru, The Associated Press
Posted Apr 5, 2021 10:11 am MDT
Last Updated Apr 5, 2021 at 10:14 am MDT
WARRI, Nigeria — Heavily armed gunmen attacked police and military buildings along with a prison holding at least 1,500 inmates in southeastern Nigeria and an untold number of them may have escaped, an Imo state police spokesman said Monday.
The attacks in the town of Owerri began around 2 a.m. and last for about two hours, according to local resident Uche Okafor. Gunmen also assaulted various other government buildings in Imo state around the same time, authorities said.
The co-ordinated attacks come less than two weeks after another wave of violence in southeastern Nigeria. At least a dozen Nigerian security officers died when four police stations, military checkpoints and prison vehicles came under ambush by gunmen.