Authorities of the Port Harcourt Maximum Security Custodial Center, Rivers State, on Monday confirmed an inmate dead and others injured in a gang brawl that broke out among inmates.
Agitated residents and businesses around the prison facility were shaken by intermittent gunshots and chokes from tear gas canisters fired by armed prison personnel joined by sister agencies to quell the disturbance among the inmates in what unconfirmed sources speculated as an attempted jailbreak.
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A statement by Deputy Superintendent of Corrections, Juliet Ofoni, Public Relations Officer, Rivers Command of the Correctional Service, confirmed that “There was a fight among the inmates of Port Harcourt Maximum Security Custodial Center in the early hours of today, Monday 11th April 2022.
“This emanated from an attempt by some of the Inmates to discipline one of their erring colleagues. Unfortunately, the inmate died thus triggering a violent reaction from friends of the deceased inmate.
“The situation which almost degenerated into a riot was quickly brought under control by Armed personnel of the Nigerian Correctional Service with the assistance of sister agencies invited to provide peripheral support to prevent unscrupulous elements from taking undue advantage of the situation.
“Meanwhile, those that sustained injuries in the fracas have been taken to the hospital for medical attention. The State Controller, Alex Oditah, has constituted a panel of inquiry to immediately investigate the incident. Normalcy has been restored to the Custodial Centre.”
