By Najib Sani, Bauchi
Few days after a reported jail break in Imo state, there was another riot by inmates at the Bauchi state correctional centre (Prison) located near the Bauchi emir’s palace.
According to our sources, the riot occured at 12pm before Friday prayer when the prison wardens fired several gunshots which scared residents living around the area.
Five inmates and two prison wardens sustained injuries during the riot.
The development led to the deployment of many policeman in five vans who blocked a road to the prison and Bakaro area in the Bauchi metropolis to avoid break down of law and order.
Confirming the attempted jail break to journalists, the Public Relations Officer of Bauchi Command of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Abubakar Algwallary explained that the riot was caused following the stoppage of illegal drugs supply by the prison staff to the inmates.
According to him, the errant staff was tried by the service adding that the prisoners were aggrieved and protested.
The protesters he revealed joined forces with other inmates transferred from the southern part of the country who allegedly got information on the recent prison breaks in the south from the same staff.
The Public Relations Officer said the protesters therefore attempted to carry out jail break to free themselves.
“There was a little problem in the Custodian Center today, we were just coming from there with the Command Controller, we have gone to see the situation and I can tell you that everything has been brought back to normal”.
“It was discovered that one of the staff was smuggling prohibited substances into the Center for the inmates, he was caught and tried by the authorities. Some of the inmates who were getting the items felt bad and decided to protest the action of the service.
“Also, we have some inmates from the southern part of the country who were aware of the happenings in Owerri so, they teamed up with those protesting the stop of the supply and attempted to do a jail break”. He uncovered.
