Nigerian forces retake Abuja prison after gun battle

Nigerian forces have retaken a prison in the capital, Abuja, after it was attacked by armed men on Tuesday night.

It is not clear who carried out the attack but witnesses say they heard loud explosions and gunfire around Kuje prison - a medium security prison.

Some local reports suggest a number of inmates escaped from the facility during the attack.

A spokesperson for the Nigerian interior ministry said security forces had "taken control of the situation’’ without giving details.

Armed groups including Boko Haram extremists and Islamic State (IS) group-affiliated militants have carried out several jailbreaks across Nigeria in recent years, with more than 5,000 inmates having escaped since 2020.

Hours earlier, gunmen opened fire on a convoy of President Muhammadu Buhari’s security guards, officials and media team in his home state of Katsina.

This article originally appeared in BBC News

Photo: BBC