Four inmates were on Wednesday shot dead during a jailbreak at Ikot Ekpene Prison in Akwa Ibom state.
Thirty-six prisoners escaped from the facility in a well-coordinated operation by the inmates.
Ogbajie Ogbajie, spokesman of the Akwa Ibom command of the Nigeria Prison Service, said the inmates first attacked kitchen staff before escaping through the rear entrance of the prison.
“At about 1147hrs 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,” Ogbajie said in a statement.
“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 7 were recaptured. 36 are still at large and search parties have been activated to effect their recapture.”
Alex Oditah, controller of prisons in Akwa Ibom, has ordered an investigation into the incident.
He appealled to members of the public to assist the authority with useful intelligence that could lead to the arrest of the prisoners.
