HELL was let loose on Ado-Ekiti prison in the early hours of Monday, as gunmen attacked the facility and threw the gates open, ostensibly to free the about 400 inmates said to be in detention in the prison at the time of the attack.Sources informed the Nigerian Tribune in Ado-Ekiti, on Monday, that the invaders used sophisticated weapons and there were fears that a prison official was mistakenly shot by members of a vigilante group, who allegedly reacted to the attack.The sources also claimed that about 20 dogs were shot in the attack that was said to have begun on Sunday night at the prison located at Afao Road, Ado-Ekiti.The gunmen, who sources said numbered about 50, were also said to have arrived in Toyota Hilux vans.The attackers were said to have come with other weapons such as cudgel, machetes, charms and were allegedly shouting 'Allahu Akbar.'Some people close to the Ekiti State government linked the attack to alleged attempt to free a leader of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), charged with murder, who is in detention at the prison.An unsigned statement aired on the state radio, Ekiti FM 91.5, alleged that 'the attack was aimed to set a murder suspect, Mr Adeniyi Adedipe, free, as he was being remanded in the prison custody over the murder of a former chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Chief Omolafe Aderiye.'Authorities of the prison denied newsmen access into the prison, but the Prison Controller, Mr Fadipe Abolarin Kehinde, told journalists at the gate that it was not true that any of his men died during the attack.Fadipe also announced that Adeniyi Adedipe, a.k.a 'Apase' was still in their custody and explained that 'we are moving round to assess the situation.'He said of the attack: 'It was not a jailbreak, but an attack on the prison. The main entrance of the prison was broken. What happened is that we were attacked from outside not from within. They came massively with different weapons; they attacked our men on duty and we have been here since 10.30 p.m. on Sunday.'On those who escaped from detention, the comptroller said his men were already out to re-arrest inmates who escaped during the attack, but did not, however, give the figure.He said 'we have some who had been recaptured and kept in police cells.'Meanwhile, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has condemned the violent attack on the Ado-Ekiti prison by yet-to-be identified gunmen, in which one official of the facility was feared killed.Governor Fayose, who spoke at the swearing-in of permanent secretaries and special advisers on Monday, described the attack as regrettable and said the perpetrators would fail.He said: 'We regret the jail break perpetrated by the evil people which led to the escape of many inmates. I want you to know that I have the grace of God on me and whoever plans against us shall be destroyed. My prayer is that they will not know peace.'The governor, after administering the oath on the permanent secretaries and special advisers, explained that he reduced the 36 ministries in the state to 26 because of 'serious financial challenges facing the state.'The five permanent secretaries are Ademiloye Ojo Fasiku, Ayodeji Ajiboye, Mrs Olabisi Akindele, Lawrence Babatope Ojo and Sunday Komolafe. The new head of service is Mr Olugbenga Faseluka, while his predecessor, Mr Olubunmi Famosaya would serve as Special Assistant to the governor.
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