By Jimitota Onoyume, Port Harcourt

ANY one who has seen the high walls of the Port Harcourt prisons would certainly doubt if it is possible to scale over it. But it happened last Sunday.

About 10 inmates of the prison successfully scaled the high fence which is about 70 feet from the ground. It is still not clear how they were able to organise themselves to achieve the feat.

As usual there have been different accounts. One had it that about 26 inmates came up with the idea to escape from the place. They allegedly arranged rustic iron beds into the shape of a ladder and used it to climb over the fence.

Another account said the inmates had access to mobile phones with which they maintained constant touch with their accomplices outside. The arrangement was for those outside to punch a small hole in the high wall and then throw a pistol and a marine rope to those inside which they reportedly did.

Vanguard Metro, VM, gathered that the inmates had to use the pistol to overpower the warders around. They later threw one end of the marine rope over the high fence to their accomplices who were outside to pin to the ground.

They shook the rope to be sure it was firm enough to climb on, and in turns they walked on it and with the agility of nimble-footed gymnasts, crossed over the fence. About 10 of them reportedly succeeded before they lost control of the situation.

The state Police Command confirmed that from the number that escaped, some of them were rearrested and brought back to the prisons. Among them was a kidnap kingpin serving a 20-year jail term.

Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ben Ugwuegbulam, who issued the statement, said at the end of a headcount in the prisons it was confirmed that five of the inmates were missing.

*Officials on inspection tour of PH Prisons after the jail break

His words: “At the end of the headcount, it was discovered that five have not been accounted for and presumed escaped while Ebilate John, a kidnap convict serving 20 years was returned to the prison, bringing the total number of rearrested jail breakers to three and two convicted for kidnapping and one awaiting trial and 23 others earlier arrested for attempt to escape. Criminal Investigation Department, CID, is investigating it(the incident)”.

Meantime, some residents around the prisons said they were not impressed with the way the state Police Command handled information on the jailbreak.

They said it took over 10 hours before the police could confirm that five inmates were missing. They said if the police had alerted the public immediately, people would have been vigilant, looking out for strange faces on the streets.

“Prison inmates are not hard to identify on the streets. But because they did not let us know, that was why they lost the five. It was through intuition people arrested the two they handed over to the police”.

They could be right because the first picture the police painted with the text message it sent round media houses was that its men arrested all those that wanted to escape.

The text reads: “At about 1000hrs today the Dept Comptroller, Port Harcourt prisons reported a jailbreak in the prisons. Reinforcing police teams responded swiftly and arrested two successful breakers, one Egbe Gboh, a convicted kidnapper and one Anthony Akanimo, awaiting trial for kidnap. Twenty three others who attempted to escape were also held inside the prison. Breaking(out) was achieved by the use of iron beds as ladder to cross into Bundu and Abuja waterfronts. Order was restored and patrol sustained. Census and further investigation commenced”.

An impeccable source told VM that two of the inmates that escaped were arrested by loyalists of the late Soboma George around Nembe waterside.

The loyalists of the deceased ex- militant leader allegedly identified the inmates to be part of those running away from justice and quickly they picked them and passed them over to the police.

VM gathered that the loyalists of the ex-militant leader acted the way they did to prove to the government that they had no hand in the jailbreak. Their late leader, George, it would be recalled successfully escaped from the Port Harcourt Prisons some years ago.

Reacting to the jailbreak attempt, the Rivers State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, called on the Federal Government to immediately set up a panel of enquiry to unravel details around it.

The statement signed by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Jeery Needam recalled that there had been similar incidents in the past where several inmates fled the prisons.

According to the ACN the reoccurrence had made the issue worrisome. It would be noted that about two years ago some militants also stormed a police station in town area of Port Harcourt to release inmates.

The ACN said it was necessary to investigate the cause of the incidents and come up with recommendations to put an end to it.

The Rivers State government has enjoined residents not to panic over the development as security operatives were on top of the situation. Governor Chibuike Amaechi in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Dave Iyofor, said government would meet with security operatives on the issue.

VM further gathered that the prison authorities are set to prosecute those behind the incident.

At press time, the jailbreak incident was the most topical issue around Bundu, Abuja estate and other adjourning areas around the Port Harcourt Prisons. People were seen in clusters discussing it.