Owerri prison break | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Nigeria | Biafran separatists (IPOB suspected) | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Nigeria Police | Eastern Security Network (suspected) | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
over a dozen | unknown |
The Owerri prison break took place in the early hours of 5 April 2021, when a mass prison break occurred in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. [1] A large armed group arrived in pickup trucks and on buses carrying rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns and rifles. [1] The group entered the prison's yard by using explosives to break through the administrative block. [1] The group released over 1,844 inmates from the jail. [1]
The Nigerian Inspector General suspects the Eastern Security Network, the armed wing of the banned separatist group the Indigenous People of Biafra, are responsible for the attack. [1]
President Muhammadu Buhari described the crime as an act of terrorism perpetrated by anarchists. [1]
The attack is part of the insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria and follows an attack in March. Over a dozen police officers and military personnel were killed in an assault on four police stations and several military checkpoints. It is believed the two attacks were perpetrated by the same group. [2]
HM Prison Wandsworth is a Category B men's prison at Wandsworth in the London Borough of Wandsworth, South West London, England. It is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service and is one of the largest prisons in the UK.
Owerri is the capital city of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of Igboland. It is also the state's largest city, followed by Orlu, Okigwe and Ohaji/Egbema. Owerri consists of three Local Government Areas including Owerri Municipal, Owerri North and Owerri West, it has an estimated population of 1,401,873 as of 2016 and is approximately 100 square kilometres (40 sq mi) in area. Owerri is bordered by the Otamiri River to the east and the Nworie River to the south. The Owerri Slogan is Heartland. It is also called the Las Vegas of Africa, due to the night life of the city and the numerous hotels, casino and leisure parks all over the city.
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