Hoodlums break into Oko prisons, free criminals, raze four police stations in Edo

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

Suspected hoodlums launched a coordinated attack by attacks into Oko Medium Correctional Centre in Oko Community, Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.
The assault led to the freedom of scores of inmates, was launched on Monday barely one hour after Benin Correctional Centre on Sapele road in Benin City, the State Capital.
The iron bars of of the facility were briught down by over 200 armed gunmen who overpowered the five prisons guards on duty before they set the inmates including convicted kidnappers and armed robbers free.
Security sources said that the Nigerian Air force personnel had repelled the hoodlums who attempted to takeover the airport before the launched the attack.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of Correctional Centre, AC Njoku in a statement said efforts are underway to arrest the situation and return normalcy back to the Centres.
“The Armed Squad Personnel of the Service is working tirelessly to bring the situation under control. The public is therefore enjoined to go about their businesses in a peaceful manner, resist and shun attempts of being used to destabilize the peace in the state by destructing individual and public institutions.
“It should be noted that the Controller General of Corrections, Ja’afaru Ahmed under the supervision of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has commenced the full implementation of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019 signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, which provided for far reaching reforms in Criminal Justice Administration.”