Four inmates in Niamey’s main prison killed at least two guards in an armed attack on Saturday, Justice Minister Marou Amadou said, a week after twin suicide bombings claimed 20 lives in the west African country.
The attack was carried out by “four individuals detained at the civilian prison of Niamey and prosecuted for terrorism,” Amadou told AFP, adding that another guard was seriously wounded.
“Three have been taken” alive, said Amadou, who is also the government spokesman, adding that “the fourth is in the prison grounds”.
Amadou said an investigation has been launched to determine how they obtained the weapons. They also seized a weapon from one of the guards.
A resident in the district reported shooting from the prison from early afternoon. “Everyone has locked themselves in,” he said.
Another said: “It’s panic everywhere. We were very frightened.”
Saturday’s attack came a week after twin suicide bombings on May 23, the first such attacks in Niger’s history.
An attack on the Agadez army base left 18 soldiers and one civilian dead, while a near-simultaneous bombing at French group Areva’s uranium mine killed one and injured 14.
Two jihadist groups — Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) and Signatories in Blood — claimed the attacks, saying they were in retaliation for Niger’s intervention in neighbouring Mali.
Armed inmates kill two Niamey prison guards: minister
