Sierra Leone government officials have revealed that nearly 2,000 inmates escaped following Sunday’s assault on a military barracks, a prison, and other locations in the country.
Colonel Shek Suleiman Masakui, the Acting Director-General of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service, detailed that the attack endured for two hours.
As per a situation report shared by prison authorities with Reuters on Monday, approximately 1,890 inmates escaped from the Pademba Road central prison after the assailants forcefully entered the facility.
The gunfire that echoed across Freetown in the early hours induced panic in Sierra Leone, attributed to what the government labeled as “renegade soldiers,” reportedly repelled after the incident.
In an effort to address the situation, the police issued a statement on Monday, urging the escaped inmates to return to the prison. They also offered rewards to the public for information regarding the escapees or the attackers.
Moreover, both the United States government and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the breach of the military facility.
The US Embassy in Sierra Leone voiced strong disapproval of the jailbreak via a Sunday tweet, calling for collaboration with government security forces. The United States reiterated its commitment to supporting a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous Sierra Leone.