Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that Prisoners fleeing after being released from breached pademba prison in Sierra Leone.
APA-Freetown (Sierra Leone) There is a nationwide curfew in Sierra Leone after gunmen unsuccessfully raided a military barracks in the capital Freetown on Sunday.
Residents of the city heard gunshots as armed assailants tried to breach the Wilberforce barracks in what many suspect was an apparent coup attempt.
There are also reports that the Pademba Road prison was raided by the attackers who freed its inmates.
Heavily armed government troops could be seen driving through Freetown city streets which have been unusually quiet and devoid of vehicle and pedestrian traffics.
Police have mounted a nationwide manhunt to track down the escapees.
The BBC’s Umaru Fofana in Freetown says it is not the first time the prison has experienced major security breaches.
He says the police are now calling for a public inquiry into the affairs of the prison, amid accusations that jail staff might have colluded with prisoners.
Before he was sacked, Mr Showers admitted that the prisoners were armed when they escaped.
“They fired a pistol to scare the gatekeepers and make good their escape,” he told the BBC’s Network Africa programme.
Mr Showers said he could not rule out the possibility that prison staff had colluded in the escape.