Several inmates of the Port Harcourt Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Rivers State, were on Monday wounded after riot broke out following the death of an inmate.

Most of the injuries sustained by the inmates were through gunshots fired by security operatives, who tried to prevent some inmates to use the opportunity of the chaos to escape from the facility.

Reports indicate that two inmates were engaged in a fight leading to the death of one of them, even as a protest ensued amongst other inmates.

The situation spiralled out of control as many inmates tried to scale the facility’s high walls, but were repelled by a combined team of security operatives who shot outside the fence, with 12 of them sustaining bullet wounds.

Spokesperson for the Port Harcourt correctional centre, Juliet Ofoni, confirmed the incident.