Unknown gunmen on Sunday attacked a correctional centre in Benin City, the capital of Nigeria’s Edo State and freed several inmates in one of the cells.
Prisons officials were said to have engaged the hoodlums in a gun battle, injuring some.
According to reports, the hoodlums – who pretended they were #EndSARS protesters – gathered along Sapele Road beside the prison as early as 7 am setting bonfires and sending back road users.
They launched their attack when their number had swelled considerably, broke a part of the wall while some climbed the fence into the prison yard.
The hoodlums also vandalised the High Court 4 which is beside the prison.
Youths across Nigeria have been protesting against a rogue police unit for over a week. The police unit, the Special Anit-Robbery Squad (SARS), has since been disbanded by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) but the protests continued.
