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Residents around Oko Community in Edo State were woken up by yesterday by heavy shooting and explosions at the medium prisons which forced many families to abandon their homes.
A source confirmed to LEADERSHIP that at about 1:30am armed men used explosives to force open one of the prison gates and fired? sporadically? throughout the period the operation lasted.
Prison officials and policemen were said to have engaged the invaders but however were over-powered by the superior firepower of the invaders who were said to have come in a bus.
When LEADERSHIP visited the prison yesterday morning, relations and family members of inmates had? besieged the prison? after the news spread around the state capital. Armed security men cordoned off the prison premises and turned away visitors and journalists alike.
Unconfirmed reports said that many prisoners escaped during the?? attack while about 12 inmates were said to have been recovered.
When contacted on telephone, Edo State Controller of Prisons, Ewulo F. O., confirmed the incident, adding that the incident was under? investigation.
The Edo State Police Public Relation Officer, Anthony Airhuoyo, said the State command was yet to be briefed by the Divisional Police Officer, (DPO) in charge of the area.