27 prisoners escape from jail in Democratic Republic of Congo

By Godfrey Olukya

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) – Twenty-seven prisoners have escaped from a jail in Kasai province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), officials confirmed on Friday.

“The prisoners escaped from Luebo central prison in Kasai province last night. The police and army are looking for them,” said Lieutenant Peter Mvano, a provincial security officer.

In a statement, Roger Kabanangi, the administrator of Luebo Prison, said, “The prisoners escaped through the front gate. We had opened for the head of the prison court to come in when the prisoners took the opportunity to push open the gate and escape forcefully. They overpowered the few guards who were on duty.”

During the escape scuffle, one inmate and the head of the prison court were severely injured and were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, he added.

Most of the prisoners who escaped are hardened criminals such as highway robbers, rapists and kidnappers, Kabanangi said and added that security agencies are collaborating to ensure that the escapees are apprehended and returned to prison.