It has been gathered that the correctional facility and police investigation department in Owerri, Imo State was set on fire by unknown attackers overnight on Monday 5th of April 2021.

According to videos and pictures on Social media by those in the state who witnesses the account said the attackers struck the prison and police department shortly after midnight. Due to the attack, many inmates and suspects have escaped in numbers yet unknown.

According to People's Gazette,  Senior government officials have been reportedly asked for shelter-in-place due to the proximity of the scene to the government house.

According to Amnesty International, Owerri Correctional Centre had 2156 inmates as against its capacity of 548 people. It is yet unknown if they all escaped or not.

Speaking with People's Gazette, Imo police spokesman, Godson Orlando said he was unaware of the violence, hours after reports had spread across social media with residents across different sections of Owerri reporting that they heard heavy gunshots and explosions.

“I am just hearing it from you now,” Mr Orlando, a police superintendent, told The Gazette by telephone at 4:48 a.m. “I will have to wait until later today to find out what happened.”

IPOB leader Mazi Kanu had tweeted in the early hours of Monday after the correctional centre attacks report, he said no one deserves to be in prison if Boko Haram and other insurgents are freed and rehabilitated.

See tweet below 
According to reports, the known gunmen also set free suspects at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the state police command.

There have been allegations that the Eastern Security Network operatives are responsible for the attack however, it has not been established yet.

It was gathered that the attackers started between 1 am and 2 am on Monday and the operation lasted for about two hours.

Vehicles parked at the command headquarters were burnt and the suspects in almost all the cells at the SCID were freed.

According to SaharaReporters, this makes it the fifth time police headquarters gets attacked in the state. Four police divisional headquarters had been attacked since February. They include Obowo, Aboh Mbaise, Ihitte/Uboma, and Isiala Mbano Police Divisional Headquarters located at Umuelemai in Imo State.

Imo state police spokesman, Godson Orlando Ikeokwu speaking had confirmed the attacks to SaharaReporters a few hours before filing this report.

See video reports posted on Twitter by AIT below