Gunmen raid prison near Nigeria capital, free hundreds

ABUJA: Gunmen late on Tuesday used explosives to blast into a jail near Nigeria’s capital and free hundreds of inmates, although prison authorities said they later recaptured most of those who escaped.

The brazen attack on the outskirts of Abuja came hours after an ambush on a presidential security convoy in the northwest, in a fresh illustration of Nigeria’s security crisis. Residents reported loud explosions and gunfire late on Tuesday near the Kuje medium security prison just outside Abuja, and security forces had cordoned off streets in the area early on Wednesday.