The terrorists, suspected to be members of Boko Haram sect, were said to have arrived the prison around 9p.m., in four Hilux vehicles, raided the prison for more than two hours unchallenged, freed the inmates and vandalized the record office.
The hoodlums, who first overpowered the security personnel at the gate, broke into the prison through the window and vandalized the administrative office.
The Prison Comptroller General, Aminu Suley, who confirmed the story when Governor Idris Wada, and his deputy, Mr. Yomi Awoniyi, visited the prison, said the attack was the handiwork of organized external forces.
The Koton-Karfe Comptroller, Omale Ilemona, who gave insight into the attack, said out of the 145 prisoners set free by the terrorist group,12 had freely returned, while one was killed.
He said: "Around 9:30p.m., I received a call that the prison is under attack. I called the governor and securities operatives.
"But before help could come from sister agencies, the gunmen had overpowered us, freed all the inmates and escaped."
Suley affirmed that the attack was the handiwork of terrorists, who forcefully entered the prison, adding that the attack was possible because the prison was overcrowded.
Blame on judiciary
Suley condemned the judiciary for the delay in concluding cases of awaiting trial inmates and urged the executive to assist the judiciary to hasten up the trial process.
He said: "Some of these prisoners are not supposed to be here in the first instance. It is saddening that out of the 145 inmates, only 26 of them are convicted. The remaining 119 are awaiting trials."
Suley was, however, optimistic that some of the inmates would return on their own, either to the Koton-Karfe prisons or any other prisons in the country, to avoid being declared wanted
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