Security operatives foil jailbreak as riot erupts in Rivers prison

Security operatives, on Monday, foiled a jailbreak at a correctional facility in Port Harcourt, the Rivers capital.

Juliet Ofoni, public relations officer (PRO) of the correctional centre, confirmed the incident on Monday.

She said the riot occurred at the old Port Harcourt township correctional centre, adding that the death of an inmate in a clash with his colleague on Monday morning led to the riot.

According to the spokesperson, the aggrieved friends of the deceased inmate staged a protest and attempted a reprisal, but the situation was brought under control by the authorities at the correctional centre.

Ofoni added that some inmates wanted to take advantage of the riot to escape by scaling the fence, but they were prevented by security operatives stationed outside the correctional centre.

“The incident happened when the inmates were having some differences,” TVC quoted her as saying.

“So, in the process, one of them died in the course of the fight, which led to the inmates protesting that their person had died.”

For those who attempted the jailbreak, Ofoni said while some persons sustained injuries, none of the inmates who tried to escape died.