Somaliland: “Prison Escape Attempt was an Inside Job” Justice Minister

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By: Yusuf M Hasan

HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The government is investigating how a weapon was made available to some inmates serving long sentences at the Hargeisa prison.

This was revealed by the Somaliland minister of Justice Hussein Aideed in his Hargeisa where he also confirmed that one custodial guard was killed while two others are nursing injuries sustained during the mafia like escape attempt by five inmates serving long sentences for Terrorism and Piracy.

The minister was referring to a botched escape attempt by inmates at the Hargeisa based Hargeisa prison where the guard died after the inmates who were armed with a pistol shot their way out of their maximum security cell during the lunch break.

While acknowledging that the escape was pre-mediated and well planned Minister Aideed informed that the government has instituted an enquiry into how prisoners were in possession of weapons in lieu of the stringent policies utilized in the country’s prisons.

The escapees who were overpowered by civilians outside the prison are now currently back in custody most probably from where they shall be arraigned in court for possession of weapons, the killing, injuries to officers and escape attempt.

This is the second time for an escape attempt from this cohort of hardcore prisoners who are serving their sentences for crimes related to Terrorism and piracy in the UN sponsored Hargeisa pirate prison.