UPI
NIAMEY, Niger — Some 22 prisoners escaped a prison in Niger’s capital during an attack by suspected Islamic militants in which three guards were killed, officials say.
Justice Minister Marou Amadou said weapons had been smuggled into the prison in Niamey, although other reports about the event differ, BBC reported Sunday.
Amadou said the unrest started inside the prison after “outside complicity” allowed prisoners to get weapons.
Officials said Saturday a Sudanese prisoner shot and killed three guards and a civilian after he grabbed a gun from a guard. Sudanese members of an al-Qaida splinter group outside the prison then opened fire.
Full story: Nearly two dozen inmates escape Niger prison after three guards killed