By Kevwe Ebireri, Abuja

The Nigerian Prisons Service, NPS, says is has recaptured 108 inmates out of 275 prisoners who escaped from the Medium Security Prison in Minna, Niger State on Saturday.

The Comptroller General of Prisons, Peter E. Ekpendu, made the disclosure in a statement by the NPS spokesperson, Ope Fatinikun.

Ekpendu said the inmates were recaptured through combined efforts of military, security and intelligence agencies and cooperation of surrounding communities.

While assuring Nigerians that a search by the Service, Nigerian Army, Police and other security agencies is still being conducted, the prisons boss stressed that the incident was not a terrorist attack but an “attempted jail break”.

He appealed to communities and neighbouring states of Kwara, Kaduna, Kebbi and FCT to be vigilant and watch out for any suspicious movements by strangers and report such person(s) to the nearest police station or prisons formation.

Meanwhile one hundred and sixty six (166) inmates are still at large.

The total number of inmates in the prisons’ custody as at today is 157 – the 49 inmates that did not escape and the 108.