Heavily armed men stormed a prison in Oyo state in southwestern Nigeria on Friday evening, a spokesperson for the prison administration said on Saturday, without specifying the number of detainees released.
"
A large number of armed men attacked the Abonlogo prison with grenades on Friday evening
," Olanrewaju Anjorin told AFP.
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"
Many detainees (having fled, editor's note) have already been found,
" he said, without specifying the number of prisoners who managed to escape.
He was also unable to confirm whether anyone had been injured or killed in the attack.
A police statement with more details will be released soon, he added.
Insecurity
According to several local media, nearly 1,000 detainees were released during the attack.
It was not yet possible to verify this information.
Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, faces severe insecurity and large swathes of its territory are affected by the activities of criminal groups.
On September 13, a prison was also attacked in the center of the country, in Kogi State, where 240 detainees were forcibly released.
In April, another prison was attacked, this time in the separatist-ridden southeast of the country, and more than 1,800 inmates escaped.
