One feared killed in botched jailbreak attempt at Kaduna Prison

There are reports that one person was shot dead as inmates in Kaduna Prison attempted a jailbreak over the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country.

As fear of contracting the deadly virus sweeps through the prison, the inmates mobilised in large numbers on Tuesday morning in an attempt to break free from the correctional centre.

Security personnel responded by firing several gunshots around the facility to bring the situation under control.

One person is currently feared to have been killed during the chaos while several prison officials, who sustained injuries, have been rushed to a teaching hospital in the city for urgent medical attention.

An official of the facility, who spoke with SaharaReporters on Tuesday, said several sections of the facility were vandalised by the irate inmates.

“There was an attempted jailbreak and riot in the yard. Staff were injured and cells broken but security agencies in collaboration with armed squad officers are trying to restore normalcy,” the official said.

Sources say the inmates had been making attempts to force their ways out since government was yet to respond to calls to decongest the prisons.