Hoodlums strike another Edo prison, set prisoners free

By Kolawole Ojebisi

ATTACK has been launched on another prison in Benin, the capital of Edo State.

This is happening barely two hours after some hoodlums hijacked #EndSARS protest to attack the Benin Correctional Centre and free prisoners.

It was gathered that this second attack happened at the Oko Medium Security Centre in Edo State.

Just like the first attack, the hoodlums freed the inmates in the centre.

The surging hoodlums reportedly overpowered the five armed guards in the facility and had a free day looting shops along roadsides leading to the prison.

They also reportedly carted away valuables from offices of prison officials.

It was gathered that immediately after the attack in Benin Prison, security was alerted in Oko but calls to the Nigerian Army and the Police for reinforcement were not heeded hence the ease with which the hoodlums overpowered the prison guards.

The facility has the capacity to accommodate roughly 1300 inmates.

A prison source said, “They came in their thousands and their mission was to free inmates. They have been communicating with the inmates because even before they broke into the facility, the inmates were already rioting inside the place.”

Before the attack on Oko Correctional Centre, the suspected hoodlums had ransacked Oba Market police station, attacked its armoury and went away with their guns and some uniforms they found in the station.

While that was going on, the hoodlums attacked Igbekun police station and set it ablaze.

Meanwhile, the Edo State Government has imposed a 24-hour curfew across the state “till further notice.”

The curfew is to take effect from 4pm, October 19, 2020.