Explosions by unknown assailants rocked the Federal prison on Afoa Road, Ado Ekiti. Various sources say there were about 65 heavily armed men in Toyota Hilux trucks. A prison official was also reportedly shot during the attack.
Using explosives and gunfire, the assailants set several inmates of the prison free; in spite of this, the Ekiti State controller of prisons maintains that it was an attack on the prison and not a jail break.
As at the time of writing this report, no official number of escaped inmates has been released. The Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose has condemned the attacks on the prison and he had this to say; “We regret the jail break perpetrated by the evil people, which led to the escape of many inmates. I want you to know that I have the grace of God in me and whoever plans against us shall be destroyed. My prayer is that they will not know peace.”
There are a few indications that the attack might have been master minded by the Boko Haram terrorist sect as some of the attackers were reportedly screaming “Allahu Akbar”. The Controller of the Ekiti prison again dispelled this insinuation, saying that no Boko Haram member is an inmate of the Ekiti prison therefore there was no rationale for Boko Haram to attack the prison.