About 2,000 inmates have escaped from three prisons across Nigeria in the past two weeks.
The jail break is a fallout of the #EndSARS protests which rocked the country and took violent dimension last week.
The protest has witnessed episodes of jailbreaks and lootings reported across the country.
For more than a week, the demonstrations staged against the notorious police unit, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) across major cities were peaceful until protesters were attacked by security officials and the protests were hijacked by thugs.
Taking advantage of the protests, armed men broke into three Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) facilities in Edo and Ondo states while a similar attempt was foiled in Lagos State.
So far, a total of 2,051 inmates escaped after the jailbreaks in Edo and Ondo states.
Hoodlums in the guise of #EndSARS protesters stormed the facility in Oko, also known as the Oko prison in Edo State, on Monday.
It was learnt that the prison authorities first had an inkling of what was to come as early as 9 a.m. on Monday and called for reinforcement, but none came despite two other repeated attempts.
The 9 a.m. attempt to break into the jail was repelled, according to West Amayo, Deputy Comptroller of correction in charge of Oko prison.
Amayo, who explained how the incident happened to Governor Obaseki and his fact-finding team, said the armed thugs returned at about 11.30 a.m. but were again repelled before they came in full force at about 1.30 p.m. where they succeeded in overpowering the armed prison officers, who ran out of ammunition.
Several prison officers were said to have sustained gunshot wounds while the records department and other ancillary units in the administrative section of the prison were completely vandalised and burnt.
Also, on the same Wednesday, the Benin prison located along the Benin-Sapele Road was attacked by hoodlums.
The manager of the facility, Andrew Egbobawaye, who conducted Governor Obaseki around the facility, said the armed protesters took them by surprise.
According to the prison authorities, a total of 1,993 inmates escaped from the two facilities after Monday’s jailbreaks.
However, Babayo Maisanda, comptroller of correction, Edo State Command, disclosed that 1,818 escaped inmates were still at large, while 163 have either been recaptured or secured.
However, the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, after declaring a 24-hour curfew to salvage the crisis, gave a two-day ultimatum to the remaining 1,818 inmates still at large to return to the facilities or face the full wrath of the law.
On Thursday, some thugs broke into the Nigerian Correctional Service facility in Okitipupa local government of Ondo State and released no fewer than 58 inmates while they burnt some vehicles.
They also destroyed many properties belonging to the prison and injured the staff on the premises.
The arsonists also tourhed the Akeredolu Aiyedatiwa campaign organisation office in Akure and some police stations.
In response to the incidence of violence, the state government immediately declared a 24-hour curfew.
Unlike the situation in Edo and Ondo states, the jailbreak in Lagos was not successful.
On Thursday, a combined team of correctional officers and soldiers foiled the attempted jailbreak at Ikoyi Prison in Lagos.
An NCoS spokesperson said officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Lagos State command and other security operatives ensured the jailbreak was foiled.
