180 prisoners break out of Nigerian prison, 30 recaptured

Following combined efforts of the Nigerian Prisons Service and other security agencies in Niger state, 30 inmates who escaped from the Minna Medium Security Prison on Sunday night have been recaptured.

The Minister of Interior, General Abdulrahman Danbazau disclosed this after an on-the-spot assessment of the prison.

Mr Jibrin Ndace, spokesman to Niger Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani-Bello, in a statement on Monday, added that about 180 inmates escaped during the jailbreak.

The Minister, who revealed that Federal Government is building 3000 capacity prison in each geopolitical zone and will recruit 6000 personnel, admitted that there were security lapses at Minna Prison.

“There are security gaps to be addressed in the prisons such as manpower, de-congestion,” he said.

Also speaking, the Niger state governor, Sani-Bello called for more commitment to duties, adding that Niger State Government would work with Federal Government on Prison reforms.

“I will like to appeal to public servants generally to take their jobs seriously. Niger State Government collaborate with the Federal Government to improve infrastructure of prisons across the state.”

In his comment, the Comptroller-General of Prisons, Jaafaru Ahmed said an investigative panel has been set up to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the jailbreak.

Daily Post

Video - Anti-tobacco campaigners look to tighten anti-smoking regulations in Nigeria

A new tariff hike to limit tobacco consumption takes effect from today amidst calls for stricter anti smoking laws. Nigeria has already banned smoking in public places but enforcement of the ban has hardly taken effect and its health ministry says tobacco consumption remains as high as 20 billion cigarettes per year.

Video - Bokom Haram ambush kills 5 soldiers in Nigeria

Five soldiers have been killed by improvised explosive devices planted by Boko Haram. A statement from the army said the soldiers ran into the explosives while fighting their way through a Boko Haram ambush.

13 killed by herdsmen in Nigeria

At least 13 people have been killed by gunmen in two separate attacks in central Nigeria’s Benue state, an area that has recently seen a wave of deadly clashes, officials said.

In one attack, attackers, who officials said were armed herdsmen, stormed the Tseadough village in the Kwande area shortly after midnight while people were asleep.

They killed seven people, including women and children, Terdoo Nyor Kenti, a local government leader, told AFP news agency.

"From what I gathered, they opened fire and shot sporadically in all directions which rattled everyone," Kenti said.

"Seven people were killed at the end, six others were injured while the herdsmen also went away with a woman after burning several houses and farmland in the area," he added.

In a separate attack on Sunday, six people were killed in what was described by local residents as cult violence in the twon of Otukpo on Sunday, according to officials.

"I am still expecting a clearer picture about this because the police have deployed their personnel," George Alli, a local official, said.

Disputes over territory in central Nigeria have killed more than 300 people in the past two years. Hundreds of thousands of people have also been displaced.

Al Jazeera

England players also in on the Nigerian 2018 World Cup Kit craze

It seems Nigeria's 2018 World Cup kit is not only a hit among fans - opposition players are also lining up to get their hands on the jersey.

The Super Eagles wore the new Nike kit in Saturday's 2-1 defeat to England at Wembley Stadium, and a Nigeria team official told KweséESPN that several Three Lions players requested and exchanged shirts with the visitors after the game.

Defender William Troost-Ekong was one of those who gave up his shirt, exchanging it with former Tottenham Hotspur academy mate Harry Kane, while Ahmed Musa swapped shirts with Leicester City forward Jamie Vardy.

The Nigeria kit has been in huge demand since it was launched in February. When retail sales opened on June 1, the shirts quickly sold out as fans queued for over two hours in London to purchase them.

In Nigeria, despite a flood of counterfeit shirts having been in the market for at least a month, and the originals being priced at over N30 000 (almost double the country's minimum wage), the shirts have flown off the shelves and demand continues unabated.

Midfielder Ogenyi Onazi tells KweséESPN that he tried to order some for friends and family, but he hit a roadblock: "I wanted to buy for my family and friends that morning, but they said it was out of stock.

Arsenal star Alex Iwobi was just as surprised: "I heard from some of my friends that they tried to buy some but couldn't find it. I don't know if that's good or bad for us."

An email to a NIKE communications representative remains unanswered.

ESPN