By SIMON EBEGBULEM, B/City

THE Controller of Prisons in Edo state, Mr Effiom Etowa yesterday gave account of how his men foiled an attempt by unknown armed men to free inmates who were being conveyed to the Oko Medium prison from the Benin High Court last Thursday.

He explained that the three suspects involved in the alleged rescue attempt were arrested by his men after a shoot out. He said one of the two vehicles used by the suspects was impounded while the other escaped with the occupants.

According to him, the suspects had trailed the two Green Maria conveying the inmates from court along Sapele road area of Benin to Airport road when they were blocked from overtaking the green Marias. “And the 18 inmates in the Green Maria were high profile inmates whose offences ranged from robbery and kidnapping. The two vehicles had been on the trail of the two black maria and another backup vehicle that were being used to convey  the inmates back to prison from the court.