Calm has returned to the Kirikiri Prisons in Lagos after a riot by inmates, which officials termed an ‘attempted jail break’.

The service spokesman, a Controller of Prisons, Mr Ope Fatinikun, said that the situation had been brought under control.

“All the inmates are intact and the prisons authority is currently working on resolving the issue that led to the riot,” he said.

Fatinikun said that the riot was sequel to delay by the prisons’ authorities to replace the ceiling fans in the inmates’ cells. An inside source said one of the inmates, who leads a religious congregation within the prison had actually used his money to buy a fan and a microphone, an act that the deputy prison controller opposed.

Reports said the DCP, Kayode Adeyemi ordered the inmate detained in an isolation room, provoking other inmates to riot. Many of the inmates were shot dead by armed security men called in by the prison authorities to quell the riot.

“Further investigation into the riot is ongoing, to know what could have led to the riot,” Fatinikun said.

NAN reported that some of the inmates who attempted to escape, in the midst of the riot were contained by the authority.

NAN correspondents who visited the area saw heavily armed combined security forces from the prisons service, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy and the Nigeria Police in the area.

It was observed that movement was also restricted both in and outside the entire Kirikiri area, housing the Medium, the Minimum and the Maximum Prisons respectively.

NAN also reports that the fierce-looking military-men cordoned off all the entry and exit routes leading to the prisons.

Civilians and vehicles were not allowed to access the premises except those who have proof that they are resident in the prisons’ barrack.

NAN also reports that vehicles were being subjected to thorough search.

Some of the shop owners and passers-by within the area who spoke to NAN said they were forced to take alternative routes.

“Escapee inmates go through the bush behind the prison, I guess that is where the search team should concentrate their efforts,” a shop owner said on anonymity.

Another eyewitness who pleaded anonymity told NAN that they were alarmed when they noticed high influx of security personnel in the area.

“Today is a bad day because I know that for few days coming, there will be heavy security presence in this area, she said