ABUJA, Nigeria – More than 1,800 prisoners escaped from a prison in southeastern Nigeria after it was attacked by armed men on Monday, raising fears that a new armed insurrection is taking shape in a majority Christian part of the country, while the Muslim-dominated north is battling jihadist militancy and rampant criminal gangs.
Dozens of armed attackers entered the prison yard in the town of Owerri at around 2 am, according to local authorities and eyewitnesses. The gunmen used explosives to blow up administrative buildings and then opened the cells.
The attack, which lasted several hours, took place amid a series of coordinated night attacks in which gunmen also targeted police and military installations with rocket-propelled grenades and explosives in the state capital of Imo.
“We are very afraid of what will happen next,” said Blessing Iwe-Ajunwa, a resident of Owerri who heard gunfire during the night. “Many prisoners have merged into the community.”
President Muhammadu Buhari said the escape from prison was an “act of terrorism” carried out by anarchists. He called on security forces to capture the attackers and fugitive prisoners.