Lawlessness continues as hoodlums kill cops, burn more police stations, inmates attempt jailbreak

 

The reign of terror by hoodlums across the country continued unabated on Thursday with reports of attacks on the police personnel, which resulted in some deaths, and burning of many police stations across the nation.

In some states, inmates of custodial centres were set free by the hoodlums, while in others, the inmates attempted to flee from custody, but their efforts were thwarted by security agents. 

Many public buildings were also sent on fire by hoodlums across the country.

Police, army storm Ikoyi prison over attempted jail break

Some inmates of the Ikoyi Custodial Centre in Lagos State, on Thursday, attempted to escape after setting a section of the facility on fire.

“However, the inmates met stiff resistance by the personnel at the centre. The inmates, in their attempted jailbreak, set a section of the custodial centre ablaze. There was no breach of the custodial centre’s security perimeter, as the combined deployment of military and other security agencies ensured the safety of the inmates and the custodial centre,” he added. 

However, hoodlums took over major parts of Lagos on Thursday, extorting money from motorists, commercial motorcycle riders and passers-by.

Many parts of the state were barricaded by the thugs, who carried cutlasses, knives and stones. 

He said exhibits at the Ojodu station were also burnt by the gang.

Adejobi explained that the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Research and Planning, Leye Oyebade, and the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, moved round some volatile areas within the state to clear obstructions on major roads.

“The areas where the police chiefs cleared barricades from included Falomo roundabout, Sura-Adeniji and Ilubinrin end of the Third Mainland Bridge, Iyana Oworo and Gbagada end of the Ikorodu Road, Ojuelegba (Surulere) and Apongbon Bridge, on the Lagos Island,” he added.  

He said exhibits at the Ojodu station were also burnt by the gang.

Adejobi explained that the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Research and Planning, Leye Oyebade, and the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, moved round some volatile areas within the state to clear obstructions on major roads.

“The areas where the police chiefs cleared barricades from included Falomo roundabout, Sura-Adeniji and Ilubinrin end of the Third Mainland Bridge, Iyana Oworo and Gbagada end of the Ikorodu Road, Ojuelegba (Surulere) and Apongbon Bridge, on the Lagos Island,” he added. 

According to him, the hoodlums numbered over 1,000 and stormed the correctional centre around 10.30am and overwhelmed the security men outside before gaining entry onto the premises and wreaked havoc.

He said, “When they first came, the security agents around appealed to them not to carry out the attack, so they went back, but they later reinforced, over 1,000 of them, overwhelmed the soldiers and the NSCDC officers, who were trying to stop them.

“They broke the wall of the place; they broke into four out of the six cells and burnt them down. They set ablaze the van on the premises and some of our machines were destroyed. They also forcefully released all the 58 inmates.” 

Babatunde, however, noted that the command had been making efforts to recapture the inmates.

Warder killed in Delta attempted jail break 

In a similar development, a warder at the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Warri, Delta State, has been confirmed dead during Thursday’s attempted jail break by the inmates.

Hoodlums had earlier in the day set the main gate and administrative office of the correctional centre on fire in an attempt to facilitate the jailbreak.

Sources said the inmates, who seemed to have been in communication with the outside world in an effort to escape, snatched a rifle from one of the warders and allegedly shot him dead, and set the administrative building on fire.

The swift response of the men of the 3 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Effurun, to the distress call from the centre after the warders had been overpowered by the inmates, reportedly prevented the attempted jailbreak.

Our correspondent gathered that trouble started when some hoodlums, who claimed to be #EndSARS protesters, made their way to the centre and made attempts to free the inmates.

Efforts by the inmates to effect the jailbreak were, however, foiled as soldiers, led by Col. S. Ahmed, arrived on time and repelled the attack.

The soldiers were seen patrolling the facility just as all the 107 inmates were safely contained by the troop as of the time of filing this report.

The combined forces of the Nigerian Army, the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Coprs and the armed unit of the Nigerian Correctional Centre, on Thursday, repelled what an attempted jailbreak at the Afara Umuahia Correctional Centre.

Though the Controller of Correctional Service, Abia State Command, Ezugwu Julius, and the Public Relations Officer did not take their calls and respond to text messages, a source disclosed that around 8am, some miscreants posing as #EndSARS protesters came near the centre, thus arousing the interest of the inmates, “who then started trying to be funny.”

“The action of the inmates attracted the attention of the security personnel at the centre, who immediately called on joint forces to arrest the situation,” the source said.

According to the source, the joint forces stated firing gunshots and tear gas in the air to ward off the hoodlums.

Hoodlums raze police station, shoot cops in Umahi’s hometown 

The Ohaozara Police Station, Uburu, the hometown of Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, was on Thursday, razed down by hoodlums operating under the guise of #EndSARS protesters.

An eyewitness, who spoke to PUNCH Metro on condition of anonymity, said the hoodlums struck around 1pm and overpowered the policemen on duty, who fled in different directions.

He said the ensuing pandemonium made the villagers living around the station to flee, while the hoodlums stole valuables from the station before burning it down.

“The attackers looted plasma televisions, generators and some guns,” the eyewitness said.

When contacted, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Phillip Maku confirmed the incident and said some of his officers and men were injured in the chaos.

Hoodlums, who allegedly hijacked the #EndSARS protests in Abakaliki, on Thursday, reportedly shot two policemen and injured them in the process.