Owerri prison break

The Owerri prison break took place in the early hours of 5 April 2021, when a mass prison break occurred in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.[1] A large armed group arrived in pickup trucks and on buses carrying rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns and rifles.[1] The group entered the prison's yard by using explosives to break through the administrative block.[1] The militants attempted to take over the armoury, but failed. The group released over 1,844 inmates from the jail.[1]

The Nigerian Inspector General suspects the Eastern Security Network, the armed wing of the banned separatist group the Indigenous People of Biafra, are responsible for the attack.[1]

President Muhammadu Buhari described the crime as an act of terrorism perpetrated by anarchists.[1]

The attack is part of the insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria and follows an attack in March. Over a dozen police officers and military personnel were killed in a assault on four police stations and several military checkpoints. It is believed the two attacks were perpetrated by the same group.[2]