ABUJA: Unidentified gunmen invaded a prison in the Nigerian state of Kogi, killing one prisoner and set free at least 144 inmates, the government said Monday.
The prison came under attack by armed external forces between 9.30 p.m. and 10.00 p.m. Sunday, Adams Omale, the state Controller of the Nigerian Prison Service, told reporters.
He said the 145 inmates were in the Koton Karfe prison in Kogi at the time of the attack, of them 119 were awaiting trial while 26 were convicts.
Omale said one of the inmates was shot dead during the confusion that followed the invasion.
The controller told reporters that 12 of the inmates were either re-arrested or returned on their own.
He said police and army personnel were quickly mobilised to counter the attackers, but the damage was done before their arrival.
It is unclear if the attack was a perpetration of Boko Haram, a terror group which proves to be a major security threat in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, the controller said.