Real life ‘prison break’: Over 1,800 inmates escape jail after gunmen attack in Nigeria

According to details, the gunmen stormed the prison yard in the south-eastern town of Owerri by using explosive material. They entered the jail premises through the administration block and carried rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns and rifles.

The armed men had arrived in pickup trucks and buses.

Reportedly, six inmates have returned, while 35 refused to escape.

Police officials have blamed the banned separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra, of conducting the attack. The group, on the other hand, has denied involvement in the attack.

A spokesman for the Indigenous People of Biafra separatist movement has termed the accusations as "lies".

The jail authorities have confirmed that over 1,844 prisoners managed to escape from the jail in Imo state.

Imo state has long been a breeding ground for separatist groups and banned militant organizations from a very long time now.

Since January, several police stations and vehicles across south-eastern Nigeria have come under-attack but no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.