Owerri prison, located along Okigwe road in the Imo State capital, was attacked early today.
Prisons are now known as correctional centres.
Sources said the prison was attacked by heavily armed men around 1am.
We were told that the attack was characterized by heavy explosions of bombs and shootings that lasted for over 30 minutes.
One of our sources informed us that the attackers, after freeing more than 500 inmates, set the facilities ablaze.