Breaking: Explosion in Bayelsa prison, security forces foils jail break

A prison break was foiled at the Okaka Prisons in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, today as prisoner tried a jail break with the use of explosion.

Naija News gathered that the mastermind of the attempted jailbreak, Victor Tekekuma, blew the prison cell with an improvised explosive device.

Victor and five others blasted a toilet wall in the prison at 9.02 p.m. and crawled out through the improvised hole into the prison yard.

The bang of the explosion drew the attention of the security operatives who swiftly moved to the scene, and disarmed the six inmates immediately.

The state’s Controller of Prisons, Mr. Chiabu Chuks Victor, whose residence was close to the prison, gave distress calls to the state’s Police Commissioner, Amba Asuquo, who deployed a detachment of police operatives to the scene.

The Director of the Department of State Security (DSS), Mr. Segun Agbaje, the Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Desmond Agu and the Joint Task Force (JTF), also sent their officers to foil the plot.

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A security operative, who spoke in confidence, said the mastermind of the failed prison break got the IEDs through his brother-in-law, who paid him a visit in prison.

He said the explosive was concealed in one of the sealed beverages delivered to the inmate by his in-law.

“The IED was concealed in blue band margarine 900mg plastic pack. The content of the plastic was scooped out first.

“Then the powdery device was buried inside the plastic and later covered with margarine. It was sealed with foil to make it look like a new product. It was smuggled into the cell as provision. It is difficult to detect such things,” he said.

He added that Victor, after receiving the substance produced two IEDs out of it to be used in blowing the building walls.

The state’s prison controller said the synergy among security agencies in the state saved the situation.

He, however, said investigations were ongoing to unravel the circumstances behind the attempted jailbreak.