Nigerian Police Kill 16 Prisoner Breakers
Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Nigeria
16 Mar 2005 - Xinhua News Agency
The Nigerian police have killed 16 prisoner breakers in a gun battle in the central state of Nasarawa,the official News Agency of Nigeria reported Tuesday.
The gun battle occurred Sunday when the prisoners, who were arrested for armed robbery accusations, perforated their cell and attempted to escape, said the state's Assistant Commissioner of Police Musa Abdullahi.
The bodies of the prisoners were displayed Monday in Lafia, thestate capital, but their two ringleaders escaped, he added.
Jailbreak is uncommon in Nigeria but some criminals do escape successfully from detention due to security lapses or through connivance with law enforcement agents.
In recent times, armed robbery is on the rise in the west African country because of worsening economic conditions of the 130-million-strong people, with three-quarters of them living in abject poverty on less than one dollar per day.
Copyright 2005 XNA
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