2 inmates escape, 5 others injured as police foil jailbreak in Delta

From Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

Following the recent jail break at Sapele Prisons in Delta State, Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya on Wednesday confirmed that two inmates escaped, five injured and many others were admitted into the hospital during which the police foiled the prisoners’ sinister motive.
DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya who spoke to journalists in Asaba, however said that one of the Prisons’ Officers ( names witheld) were seriously injured during the cross fire between the security agents and the prisoners, adding that five out of the prisoner escapees were critically maimed by the security agents and are receiving treatment at the state owned hospital before he will be returned to the prisons.
It was gathered that two of the escapees who were yet to be identified at press time, scaled the high wall of the prison through the women section in the early hours of Tuesday, through tables laid to aid their escape before security could be mobilized.
Earlier on Monday, the inmates had started a violent protest, burning offices and property of the center over unfounded belief that the Federal Government approved the release of 25 members of them in the Covid-19 Pandemic amnesty, while the authority released only three.
It was further gathered that the protest lingered till late night and several attempts by the state Comptroller,Ovie Friday Ezesobor to pacify them proved abortive as the inmates were said to have tackled the officials at night when some of them took steps to escape but were held after two had succeeded in escaping during the night
On a telephone conversation, the Comptroller of Prisons in the state, Ovie Friday Ezesobor said normalcy has however returned to the prison, while efforts have been intensified to fish out the escapees, adding that” we are working very hard to ensure that the two that escaped are brought back while the injured ones are heavily policed until they get well and will be taking back to the prison, it was unfortunate that some escaped and many others injured, the security agents tried but were caught unawares in the night.”
The state Chief Judge, Justice Marshall Umukoro has assured that the two escapees would be fished out adding that the judiciary was committed to the rule of law.
Justice Umukoro who spoke to journalists in Asaba on Wednesday said that the state government in line with the order to decongest the prisons across the state by President Muhammadu Buhari over Covid-19 pandemic as form of anmesty for the prisoners, over 150 inmates were released, adding that their release were carried out according to the order by the Federal Government to curtail the spread of the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world.